2022-5-12

華盛頓的美國歷史博物館裡，展示的有一件1740年前後德國梅森生產的葡萄藤曼圖桉的茶壺：

• This teapot and cover with a wishbone handle and dragon spout is a later example of items reminiscent of the early Böttger porcelains admired for their raised ornament and designed originally by the Dresden court goldsmith Johann Jacob Irminger (1635-1724), the so-called Irmingersche Belege. After Böttger's death in 1719, Irminger appears in the staff lists as master modeller until 1724. The applied grapevine (Wein-Laub) design seen on this teapot and cover was especially favored.

這一件藏品，是來自瑞士的移民，腦病理學家賽漢斯（Hans Syz, 1894-1991）博士的舊藏。戴漢斯於二戰早期開始收藏梅森瓷器，主要是從紐約的瓷器進口商人阿道夫布哈德（Adolf Beckhardt，1889-1962）那裡買成套的梅森瓷器，後來漸成規模，包括歐洲和亞洲瓷器，應有盡有。1963年戴漢斯把他的大部分藏品，都捐獻到了史密斯桑尼亞國家美術館。

下面這一個，是擺在我書架上的茶杯，應該是同時期生產的葡萄藤曼紋的造型：

梅森生產的葡萄藤曼紋茶壺的這個造型，彷自明代和清早期中國福建德化瓷的折枝梅花紋茶壺。

美國歷史博物館內收藏的與之相對應的折枝梅花紋圖桉的瓷器，也有茶杯和茶碟，都是梅森生產的，也都是賽漢斯的舊藏：

• The cup and saucer have flowering prunus in relief on their exterior surfaces, and this type of decoration revived in the 1740s, is reminiscent of the early Böttger porcelains with similar ornament based on Chinese Dehua (blanc de Chine) porcelains with the prunus branches in high relief; prototypes with this pattern were in the royal collections in Dresden and made available to Johann Friedrich Böttger as models for early Meissen porcelain. In 1745 Johann Joachim Kaendler revived some of the patterns from the first decade of Meissen’s production that was, like this pattern, particularly admired.

Beaker and saucer, Meissen porcelain factory, 1726–1727, Germany. Museum no. C.450&A-1922. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

• The motif of the flowering prunus came from Chinese sources where plum trees depicted in late winter and early spring bloom symbolized resilience and rebirth after winter and the harbinger of spring.

在紐約大都會博物館裡，有類似的一件折枝梅花圖桉的無柄茶杯，也是賽漢斯的舊藏:

最近發現在蘇格蘭的阿伯丁美術館裡收藏的梅森窯瓷器中，有一個彷德化窯白瓷奶杯，和一個咖啡壺，是一樣的折枝梅花圖桉：

• Porcelain blanc de chine milk jug with molded prunus blossom on a pear-shaped body with a shield-shaped handle. The prunus with its five-petal blossoms symbolizes new life.
  

• This blanc de chine coffee pot with molded prunus blossom and the shield-shaped handle is a typical pear shape based on early silver coffee pots. The prunus with its five-petal blossoms symbolizes new life.
  

這還不夠，一個折枝梅花紋糖罐，也是這家博物館的藏品。都是1740年前後德國梅森生產的。

• Porcelain blanc de chine sugar bowl and cover with molded prunus blossom. The prunus with its five-petal blossoms symbolizes new life.
  

折枝梅花紋圖桉，在明代便可見於德化瓷器上。而在明代萬曆時期，宜興紫砂壺也將折枝梅花紋納入紫砂壺裝飾體系中。歐洲則遲至十七世紀末，荷蘭才首先成功彷制宜興紫砂壺，也同時複製了折枝梅花紋圖桉。隨後德國和英國等才陸續出現折枝梅花紋的種種變異，包括葡萄藤曼紋和櫻花枝紋等。此時的折枝梅花紋，只在折枝的概念下轉化為歐洲審美風格。