元代白浒孤窑釉里红鬼谷子下山葫芦瓶｜藏千年谋略，承元瓷绝艺

　　Yuan Dynasty White Hu Gu Kiln Underglaze Red Gourd Vase with the Story of Guiguzi Descending the Mountain

　　在华夏古瓷浩瀚星河之中，元代釉里红向来是最难寻觅、最动人心魄的瑰宝。它以铜红料入釉，窑火之中变数万千，对温度、气氛的把控近乎苛刻，稍有差池，红彩便灰暗失色，自古便有 “十红九不成” 之说。而这一件白浒孤窑烧制的鬼谷子下山双系葫芦瓶，将传奇历史故事、葫芦吉祥器型、艰深釉里红烧造技艺融为一体，是元代赣地窑工留给后世藏家的旷世奇珍，跨越七百载岁月，静静诉说着属于元代的豪迈风骨与东方谋略智慧。

　　此瓶底款落 “白浒孤窑” 方章，白浒孤窑地处江西抚州临川，自南朝便开启窑火，入元之后工艺抵达巅峰，是江南极具分量的古窑体系，依托便利的水路与优质瓷土，在元代烧造大量兼具本土审美与时代特色的重器，和景德镇窑交相辉映，共同构筑起元代陶瓷的辉煌图景。白浒孤窑器物画风奔放洒脱，不拘泥于细碎雕琢，自带一股雄浑苍劲的草原时代气息，区别于后世官窑细腻柔婉的风格，辨识度极高，是研究元代南方窑口釉里红工艺、民间叙事绘画的核心实物标本。

　　整件器物取经典葫芦之形，上下双腹，束颈收腰，线条饱满圆润，气韵沉稳。葫芦谐音 “福禄”，自古便是祥瑞之器，寓意福禄绵长、生生不息。瓶身两侧巧塑双葫芦系耳，大小呼应，造型别致，是元代大型陈设瓷中少见的巧思设计，打破常规葫芦瓶单调的轮廓，在庄重之中添了灵动巧趣。全器通施白釉，经年久自然老化，釉面遍布细密冰裂纹开片，纹理层层交织，如同冰封山河，是岁月沉淀下来独一无二的印记，触之温润，观之沧桑。

　　Amid the splendid treasure trove of ancient Chinese porcelain, Yuan-dynasty underglaze red porcelain has long been one of the rarest and most captivating treasures. Crafted with copper-red pigment under the glaze, it demands extreme precision over firing temperature and kiln atmosphere. A tiny error would turn the red tone dull and dark, hence the old saying: “Nine out of ten red pieces fail in firing.” This gourd vase, produced at the White Hu Gu Kiln and painted with the classic tale of Guiguzi Descending the Mountain, masterfully integrates an iconic historical story, an auspicious gourd shape and the sophisticated firing craft of underglaze red. It is an extraordinary masterpiece left by kiln artisans in Jiangxi for collectors across centuries, bearing the bold spirit of the Yuan Dynasty and the timeless wisdom of ancient Chinese strategy after more than 700 years.

　　Marked with the square seal inscription “White Hu Gu Kiln” on its base, this kiln site was located in Linchuan, Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province. Its kiln fire first lit up in the Southern Dynasties and reached its peak during the Yuan Dynasty. As an important ancient kiln complex in the south of the Yangtze River, it benefited from convenient water transportation and high-quality porcelain clay. During the Yuan era, it produced a great number of fine wares balancing local aesthetics and characteristics of the age, standing side by side with Jingdezhen Kiln to shape the glorious landscape of Yuan ceramic art. Works from White Hu Gu Kiln feature free and unrestrained brushwork, free from trivial fine carving, carrying the powerful, vigorous style of the grassland era. Distinct from the delicate, soft style of later imperial wares, they boast a highly recognizable look and serve as key physical specimens for the study of underglaze red techniques and folk narrative painting of southern kilns in the Yuan Dynasty.

　　The vessel adopts the classic gourd form, with two stacked bulbous sections joined by a slender neck. Its outline is full and mellow, delivering a steady and dignified aura. The gourd, pronounced “hulu” in Chinese, sounds identical to the phrase for “blessing and prosperity”, so it has long been an auspicious symbol representing enduring fortune and vitality. A pair of small gourd-shaped lugs are symmetrically moulded on both sides of the main body, echoing the main shape. This ingenious design is rarely seen among large Yuan decorative porcelain pieces, adding subtle liveliness to the solemn shape. The whole vase is covered with white glaze, which has developed dense, crackled ice patterns over long years of natural aging. The interwoven cracks resemble frozen mountains and rivers, forming unique marks carved by time. The glaze feels smooth and warm to the touch, exuding profound antiquity.

　　瓶身通体以釉里红通景绘制鬼谷子下山连环故事画卷，整幅画面以元代平话小说《乐毅图齐七国春秋后集》为蓝本，描绘战国奇人鬼谷子受齐国使者苏代恳请，出山营救身陷重围的弟子孙膑的经典典故。上腹绘武士、侍从，人物披甲戴盔，或执弓策马，或持械随行，衣袂舒展，姿态矫健，山石、松枝、祥云、花草错落点缀，疏密有度，红彩勾勒轮廓，一笔点画，不见后世繁复的双钩填色，正是元代绘画独有的写意笔法。下腹主景，鬼谷子安坐轮车之上，神态安然，仙风道骨，虽临战事，依旧从容淡定，尽显运筹帷幄、决胜千里的智者气度;牵马的随从、山林奇石、苍松劲草环绕四周，人马动静相生，山林虚实相映，画面连贯如一卷流动的元版画，将乱世之中谋士出山、救困扶危的故事娓娓道来。

　　元代釉里红的烧制，是古代陶瓷史上一场惊心动魄的试炼。铜红料极不稳定，窑内温差、氧气浓度分毫之差，都会让红色发黑、发灰，甚至飞散失色，成品率极低，故而存世的元代釉里红本就寥寥无几，人物故事题材的大件釉里红器物，更是凤毛麟角。这件葫芦瓶的釉里红发色沉稳浑厚，红中微微泛着温润的赭调，没有艳俗的浮红，红彩与白釉相互映衬，在开片釉面之上，古意盎然。画师以毛笔直接在坯体上绘写，线条粗犷有力，人物神态抓得精准，没有匠气的刻板描摹，带着元代民间画师自由奔放的创作活力，是元代人物故事瓷画的上乘水准。

　　观其底足，平底露胎，胎土干老坚实，胎面可见自然老化形成的土沁、火石红痕迹，老化层次自然，包浆厚重古朴，中心蓝款 “白浒孤窑” 四字清晰规整，是该窑口标志性的款识。底胎的质感、釉面的开片、红彩的晕散，三者相互印证，完整保留了元代器物原始的时代特征，历经数百年流转，整体品相完好，没有重大残损，在同类大件元代釉里红陈设器中尤为难得。

　　The entire surface is decorated with a continuous underglaze red panoramic painting depicting the story of Guiguzi Descending the Mountain, adapted from the Yuan vernacular tale The Later Chronicle of the Seven States: Le Yi’s Campaign against Qi. The story tells of the legendary strategist Guiguzi answering the plea of Su Dai, an envoy of the State of Qi, to leave his mountain retreat and rescue his disciple Sun Bin, trapped and besieged by enemy troops. The upper gourd section depicts warriors and attendants in armour, some drawing bows on horseback, others marching with weapons. Their robes flow naturally, and their postures are vigorous. Pine trees, clouds, flowers and rocks are scattered across the composition with well-balanced density. The red pigment outlines the figures in direct brush strokes, without the elaborate double-line filling technique popular in later periods — a freehand style characteristic of Yuan painting. The lower gourd section hosts the main scene: Guiguzi sits calmly in a wooden carriage, immortal and serene. Even on the verge of war, he maintains unshakable poise, embodying the bearing of a master strategist who plans victories thousands of miles away. Attendants leading horses, jagged rocks, pines and plants surround him. The contrast between moving figures and quiet mountains creates a vivid scroll, just like a Yuan woodblock print, retelling the story of a wise sage coming down from the mountain to save the trapped in turbulent times.

　　Firing Yuan underglaze red porcelain was a daunting test in the history of ancient ceramics. The copper-red pigment is extremely unstable. Slight variations in kiln temperature or oxygen level could darken, grey or wash away the red colour, resulting in an extremely low yield rate. Therefore, surviving Yuan underglaze red wares are already scarce, and large vessels decorated with narrative figure paintings are exceptionally rare. The underglaze red colour on this gourd vase is steady and deep, with a subtle warm ochre undertone rather than gaudy bright red. The red pigment contrasts harmoniously against the white glaze, gaining a profound antique charm atop the crackled glaze surface. The artisan painted directly on the raw clay body with a writing brush, using bold, forceful lines and capturing the expressions of figures vividly. Free from rigid, formulaic craftsmanship, it carries the unrestrained creativity of folk painters in the Yuan Dynasty, ranking among the finest examples of Yuan narrative porcelain painting.

　　Examining its base, the unglazed foot reveals solid, aged clay. Natural soil infiltration and rust-red firing marks formed over centuries are visible on the clay surface, with multi-layered patina that looks authentic and time-worn. The four-character blue seal “White Hu Gu Kiln” at the centre is neat and clear, the signature mark of this kiln. The texture of the base clay, the glaze cracks and the diffusion of the red pigment all corroborate one another, fully preserving the original characteristics of Yuan porcelain. It has survived centuries of circulation with no major damage, which makes it exceptionally precious among large Yuan underglaze red decorative wares.

　　元瓷的魅力，从来不止于工艺。元代是一个多元交融的时代，草原民族的豪迈、汉地传统的文脉、市井说书的故事，尽数熔于一窑。鬼谷子下山这一题材，之所以在元代备受追捧，正是因为鬼谷子所代表的谋略、胆识、济世智慧，契合了那个风云激荡时代里人们对智者、英雄的向往。不同于寻常龙纹、花鸟纹饰，人物故事瓷自带叙事性，每一道红彩、每一个人物，都承载着古典文学与民间审美，它不只是一件赏玩的瓷瓶，更是一本凝固在釉面之上的元代话本。

　　纵观全球拍卖市场，元代人物故事题材瓷器向来是藏界追逐的顶峰，当年元青花鬼谷子下山罐横空出世，便创下震惊世界的成交纪录，足以印证这一题材在收藏领域无可替代的地位。而这件白浒孤窑釉里红葫芦瓶，在题材之外，又叠加了釉里红的稀缺属性、独特葫芦带系的罕见器型、地方名窑的身份，多重价值叠加，收藏层级更上一层。它区别于常见的元青花，以红绘叙事，色彩热烈而沉静，在一众青花器物之中独树一帜，不管是入藏重器馆藏、高端雅室陈设，还是作为长线收藏资产，都具备极强的文化溢价与升值潜力。

　　The charm of Yuan porcelain lies far beyond craftsmanship. The Yuan Dynasty was an era of cultural integration, where the bold spirit of steppe peoples, traditional Han Chinese heritage and folk storytelling culture fused within the kiln fire. The tale of Guiguzi was widely favoured in the Yuan period, because Guiguzi represented strategy, courage and the wisdom to help the world, matching people’s admiration for wise sages and heroes amid chaotic times. Unlike ordinary dragon or flower-and-bird patterns, narrative porcelain carries a story. Every stroke of red pigment and every painted figure embodies classical literature and folk aesthetics. It is more than a decorative vase; it is a Yuan storybook frozen in glaze.

　　In the global auction market, Yuan porcelain painted with narrative figure scenes has always been the top pursuit of serious collectors. The world-shaking transaction record of the Yuan blue-and-white jar of Guiguzi Descending the Mountain proves the irreplaceable value of this theme. This underglaze red gourd vase from White Hu Gu Kiln boasts the rare underglaze red medium, an unusual gourd shape with side lugs and the provenance of a renowned regional kiln. Multiple layers of value combine to lift its collecting status. Standing apart from common blue-and-white Yuan wares, it narrates the story in red, warm and restrained, standing out among blue-and-white porcelain. Whether displayed in a refined study, collected by an institution, or held as a long-term collectible asset, it holds outstanding cultural premium and appreciation potential.

　　古瓷藏的是工艺，守的是文脉。当我们静静端详这件葫芦瓶，七百多年前窑火升腾的画面仿佛就在眼前：赣地山林之间，匠人淘土拉坯，画师执笔绘下鬼谷子下山的传奇，将一腔笔墨、毕生技艺托付于窑火，在千度高温之中，赌一场红色的涅槃。岁月流转，王朝更迭，窑火早已熄灭，可这一抹釉里红，依旧鲜活，鬼谷子的故事，依旧在瓷瓶之上缓缓流淌。

　　福禄藏于器，谋略绘于瓷。这件元代白浒孤窑釉里红鬼谷子下山葫芦瓶，是元代釉里红难得的实物遗存，是白浒孤窑巅峰技艺的代表，也是中华古典故事美学的载体。它带着元代雄浑辽阔的时代气息，跨越沧海桑田，静待知音识宝，守这份跨越七百年的窑火传奇，续一段古瓷收藏的风雅篇章。

　　Collecting ancient porcelain means inheriting craftsmanship and safeguarding cultural heritage. When you gaze quietly at this gourd vase, you can almost picture the kilns burning in the mountains of Jiangxi more than seven hundred years ago: artisans prepared clay and threw vessels, painters drew the legend of Guiguzi on the raw body, entrusting their brushwork and lifetime skill to the kiln fire, gambling for a successful red colour amid thousand-degree heat. Dynasties rose and fell, and the kiln fires faded long ago, yet this underglaze red hue remains bright, and the story of Guiguzi continues to unfold on the porcelain surface.

　　Blessing and prosperity are embodied in the vessel, and ancient strategy is painted on the glaze. This Yuan-dynasty White Hu Gu Kiln underglaze red gourd vase of Guiguzi Descending the Mountain is a rare surviving relic of Yuan underglaze red porcelain, a representative work of the peak craftsmanship of White Hu Gu Kiln, and a carrier of classical Chinese narrative aesthetics. It carries the broad, powerful atmosphere of the Yuan Dynasty, traversing countless vicissitudes of time. It awaits a discerning connoisseur to cherish this 700-year-old kiln legend and carry forward the elegant tradition of antique porcelain collecting.

　　该件藏品目前已被河南洛阳煜澜艺术品有限公司征集到，详细信息了解藏家鉴赏可以联系，河南洛阳煜澜艺术品有限公司是一家成立于中国河南洛阳，业务遍及200个市场的全球化艺术品居间服务拍卖公司，目前公司艺术品职业经理人多达50+。洛阳煜澜聚焦全球化艺术品发展，树立了艺术品拍卖行业领先的运营模式典范，年服务全球超过50万用户。作为值得信赖的全球艺术品拍卖企业领导者，洛阳煜澜助力客户，把握艺术品变革，构建艺术品征集拍卖一站式平台。

　　洛阳煜澜作为全球领先拍卖企业，秉承“一对一式客户服务跟进”的理念，为用户与全行业提供整合了文物艺术品资源、一站式全球拍行送拍和最佳的用户拍卖体验!

　　This collectible has now been consigned by Yulan Artwork Co., Ltd. of Luoyang, Henan. Collectors who wish to obtain detailed information and appreciate the piece may get in touch with us.Yulan Artwork Co., Ltd. of Luoyang, Henan is a global art intermediary and auction firm founded in Luoyang, Henan, China. Its business footprint covers 200 markets worldwide. The company has over 50 professional art managers on its team.Focused on the global development of artworks, Yulan Luoyang has set a benchmark for leading operational models within the art auction industry. It serves more than 500,000 clients globally every year. As a trusted leader among global art auction enterprises, Yulan Luoyang supports clients in navigating the transformation of the art sector and builds a one-stop platform for artwork consignment and auction.

　　As a world-leading auction house, Yulan Luoyang adheres to the philosophy of one-on-one dedicated customer service follow-up. It provides the whole industry and clients with integrated cultural relic & artwork resources, one-stop consignment services for global auction houses, and premium auction experience.