1066
A PAIR OF MASSIVE IMPERIAL YELLOW GLAZE ‘MYTHICAL BEAST’
ROOF TILES
Each modelled in the form of a mythical beast head with ferocious expression,mouth
wide open revealing Shaped teeth,all covered in amber yellow glaze,each top
inscribed with three character mark ‘Gong Bu Zhi’ (made in the Ministry of Works)
Both supported on later wood stands. Qing Dynasty period. Possibly retrieved from
the Beijing Summer Palace.
Height: 28 1/4 in (71.8 cm) Width: 22 in (55.9 cm)
$6000–9000
Provenance:
Property from the private collection of the Grayson family,Los Angeles & Portland.
Purchased in 1990. The seller acquired the pair from the descendent of a missionary who
stationed in China in the early 20th century. This missionary purchased this pair from the
antiques market in Beijing around 1920. It is rumored that it was retrieved from the beijing
palaces during the 1900s Boxer Rebellion movement.
Refer to a similar roof tile without mark, sold in Christie’s New York, Lot 112, on May 1999,
for $51,750
頤和園後山宮牆上的蚩吻型合角吻獸
清 「或頤和園宮殿」 清宮“工部造”款大型黃
釉琉璃正吻獸一對
此對大型黃琉璃吻獸印有三字楷書款“工部造”,字體挺拔
有力。清代宮廷建築工程的管理,承襲明代製度,以工部為
最高行政機關。此對吻獸每尊重超過100磅(95斤)。
參考頤和園後山宮牆上的蚩吻型合角吻獸。
可參考一無款琉璃吻獸,佳士得紐約1999年5月7日,成交
價USD 51,750, Lot 112
來源:
洛杉磯/波特蘭格里森家族(Grayson Family)收藏。1990
年購入。賣家得自一位20世紀初駐華傳教士後人,此傳教士
1920年左右從北京古玩市場購得此對吻獸,據傳教士稱為
1900年左右義和團運動時期從頤和園(Summer Palace)
流出。據考,頤和園的建築及收藏曾在1900年其間遭到八
國聯軍佔領和廣泛破壞,和該傳教士所說一致。此對吻獸和
現存頤和園類似吻獸造型,大小,款識等均十分相似,因此
可見其來源於頤和園之推測十分可靠。
正吻,又被稱為大吻、龍吻,因其外形為龍形而得名。明清時
期的正吻是由鴟尾演變而來,最早鴟尾的外形為魚尾形,有
避火驅災保平安的象徵意義。明清時期正吻演變為龍形,象
徵著皇權的威嚴。正吻被安放在建築正脊的兩端,壓在正脊
與垂脊的交匯處,是整個建築的最高點。面向正脊,兩腮鼓
脹,雙目直視,大張的龍口吞住正脊,通身布滿鱗紋,雕刻細
緻精美,立體感強。兩側的利爪在垂脊的最上端,脊不掩爪。
卷尾從腦後向後翻捲,形態誇張,龍發和龍鬚飄逸自然。其
上方的仔龍騰空欲飛,一隻前爪牢牢地抓住正吻的龍角。正
吻被燒造成中空,通常是套在建築梁架上,由從扶脊木向上
伸出的脊樁固定,內部縫隙處填滿灰漿、瓦片和木炭。
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