FAMILLE ROSE

‘WANSHOU WUJIANG’ PORCELAIN君曰蔔爾，萬壽無疆

Literally translating to ‘countless years of long life without limit’, the four characters ‘Wanshou Wujiang’ 萬壽無疆 as a motif can be found in a variety of mediums in Chinese art and has been adapted most notably into ornate famille rose ‘birthday’ porcelain.

Literature states that the first record of this phrase comes from the Shijing (Book of Odes), dating from the 11th to 6th centuries BC. This phrase was adopted to accompany auspicious wishes for imperial birthdays as early as the Song dynasty (AD 960-1279). At the peak of porcelain enameling technology and artistry during the middle of the Qing dynasty, these characters were then incorporated into excessively ornate porcelains that reflected Western rococo tastes.

Famille rose, (literally ‘pink family’), is a term that was first used by Europeans to define Chinese porcelain decorated primarily with pink overglaze enamels. The development of coloured enamels on white porcelain in China continued with the introduction of imported materials and techniques by the Jesuits in the 17th century. As the demand in Europe for elaborate pastel colour decorations rose, so did the production and experimentation on porcelain wares as lucrative export commodities. Later on, even the white ground was filled in with colourful enamels, and designs became even more complex.以「萬壽無疆」為主題紋飾的工藝品，在琳瑯滿目的中國藝術品中均有呈現。當中最引人注目的，是使用精美粉彩工藝製作的賀壽瓷器。據文獻指出，「萬壽無疆」四字吉祥語最早源自西周初年至春秋中葉（約公元前十一世紀-前六世紀）的著作《詩經》。早在宋朝（公元

960-1279年），這個短語就被用來表達對皇帝生辰的美好祝願，意蘊深厚。到了十八世紀中葉盛清時期，瓷器的製作工藝以及裝飾技法皆到達巔峰，中西方藝術文化的交流愈發緊密、融會貫通。「萬壽無疆」文字更開始融入西方人所鍾愛洛可可風格 的華麗精美裝飾瓷器中。

(Rococo)粉彩，意即「粉紅釉彩家族」，是陶瓷裝飾藝術的一個重要門類。最早見於歐洲工藝，於高溫燒製的白瓷胎釉面上，施以玻璃白及以粉色為主的傳統彩料，再於低溫燒製的中國釉上彩瓷器。粉彩瓷由十七世紀的耶穌傳教士引進，康乾盛世中逐漸發展到高峰。隨着歐洲對精緻柔和色彩裝飾的需求上升，色彩細膩、濃淡相宜的粉彩瓷器迅即成為大熱的出口商品，又因其利潤豐厚，故被大批生產、外銷。隨後，就連傳統粉彩瓷器原本留白的部分也被填上了斑爛的琺瑯彩，圖案變得更加複雜、絢麗奪目，深受大眾喜愛。