A Chance Encounter with Giuseppe Eskenazi | “偶遇”埃斯卡纳齐
Written by: Cai Fang | 蔡芳
Translated by: Rebecca Zhang
Illustrated by Tian Tian
Giuseppe Eskenazi, a globally renowned authority and a leading collector of Asian antiques, made headlines in July 2005. At a Christie’s auction in London, he acquired the Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain jar featuring the “Guiguzi Descending the Mountain” design for an astounding £15.688 million (approximately RMB 230 million). This purchase seta world record for the price of Chinese artifacts and remains the highest price ever paid for Chinese porcelain. Thismilestone purchase marks an indelible contribution to the global recognition of Chinese art.
It was said to be a “chance encounter”, but in truth, I had come to meet him. I had a premonition that I would meet Mr. Eskenazi because it was known that he often spent his time at his art gallery at 10 Clifford Street in London. On the day I visited, the gallery was hosting its 50th-anniversary special exhibition. The morning after the exhibition opened, my friend Yan and I visited the gallery, which is located in a bustling area of London, next to Sotheby’s and Bonhams auctionhouses. As the three-storey building came into view, a white flag with blue and green lettering reading “ESKENAZI” fluttered at the entrance, with the exhibition dates printed on the glass window. A large poster of the “Guiguzi Descending the Mountain” scroll hung inside the gallery, clearly visible from across the street.
I peered inside the window while Yan eagerly made her way to the entrance. I held her back, as I panicked with excitement. “Wait. Let me think about what to say. What if Eskenazi is inside? How should I express my admiration forhim...?” Before I could finish my thought, the door opened. “Please come in,” said an elderly man. “Mr. Eskenazi! It’s you,isn’t it?” I recognised the man who opened the door with excitement, the one known as the “Godfather of ChinesePorcelain”. He smiled and pointed inside the gallery, “The porcelain you want to see is inside. Please go ahead.”
“Could we take a photo with you first? Meeting you is so exciting for me.” I eagerly asked, showing more interest inhim than the superlative porcelain jar. He shook his head and said, “No, no photos,” then pointed inside again. We didn’tpress further and walked in to view the exhibition of the “Four Perfect Porcelains and One Jade”, renowned for their delicate beauty. Although I was disappointed about not getting the chance to introduce myself and I felt somewhat out ofplace wearing my fieldwork shoes from my doctoral studies, the “Guiguzi” was dazzling. The exquisite composition, therich cobalt hues and the delicate and lively brushwork were exactly as I had imagined. The jar was larger than I hadexpected. In fact, all the Yuan dynasty porcelain pieces I saw were larger than predicted. The large size catered to the needs of the Yuan dynasty Mongols who travelled extensively on horseback and reflected the advancements in porcelain-making techniques of the time, as well as the flourishing overseas trade. According to the Ming dynasty’s The Overall Survey of the Ocean’s Shores, the people of Java “had no beds or stools, nor spoons or chopsticks for eating”, and during meals,“they would sit around and have a dish well-filled with rice which they moisten with butter and gravy; and in eating they use the hand to take up the food and place it in the mouth.” No wonder they “loved Chinese blue and white porcelain the most”; the large plates and jars exported to the Western Regions were perfectly compatible with the local custom of eatingcommunally.
Yan and I took numerous photos and videos of the porcelain jar, reverently admiring its details, but also sneaking in a few coy selfies. As we snapped, we were the only visitors in the gallery. I noticed an introduction about the jar on the wall and went over to read it. The description, accompanied by illustrations, stated that the jar was made during the Yuandynasty and was
27.5 cm high. One illustration showed a side of the jar with the “Guiguzi” design, and the other was a print fromwhich the design was inspired.
The English text read:
“This unique jar is a representative work of Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain, one of the few narrative scene depictions of the time. The imagery often originated from printed illustrations. This jar depicts the historical story of the sage Guiguzi descending the mountain to rescue his student Sun Bin. Guiguzi is shown majestically sitting on a one-seat chariot pulled by two feline animals. The scene illustrates his meeting with the Qi state envoy Su Dai, who rides a spotted horse and comes to seek Guiguzi’s help. Similar compositions appear in illustrations from the 1320s. The Mongol rulers’support for woodblock printing led to the revival of this industry, resulting in flourishing centers in Jian’an, Fujian. Clearly, workers at the nearby Jingdezhen kilns had access to these illustrations.”
After reading, I had questions about two phrases, so I called out to Mr. Eskenazi. I asked, “Mr. Eskenazi, may I askyou a question?” He stopped and nodded, indicating he was willing to answer.
“I’m not sure if ‘feline animals’ is the correct term. In Yuan dynasty texts and illustrations, they are referred to as ‘twotigers’, but the jar depicts a tiger and a leopard. I would suggest ‘two beasts’ instead. What do you think?”
“Yes, the imagery differs from the text,” he said. “This jar was loaned to the Shanghai Museum for six months in 2012-2013, and we discussed this topic then. We agreed that the term was acceptable.”
I continued, “And about the term ‘meeting’, I don’t think this depicts the meeting scene between Guiguzi and Su Dai. Based on the composition and their body language, it seems they are descending the mountain together after meeting,with Su Dai following on horseback. A meeting scene would likely show them face-to-face. What do you think?”
“You must understand that Chinese porcelain is unique, and Chinese painting techniques are subtle and indirect,” hesaid. “The lack of a face-to- face depiction doesn’t mean it’s not a meeting scene.”
“I know, I studied this in my doctoral thesis which compared Chinese porcelain with Greek vase painting,” I asserted.“The latter is more direct. But here, it’s not about subtlety; the chariot is heading downhill, indicating they have already met.”
“How can you compare Chinese porcelain with Greek vases? Chinese porcelain is unique,” he said, agitated their storytelling methods, not their craftsmanship or other aspects. I’m focused on the narratives depicted in the imagery. I’ve collected over 200 story illustrations from Chinese porcelain. ‘Guiguzi Descending the Mountain’ is a significant one.”
He sighed in relief. “Oh, that makes sense. Chinese porcelain is unique, incomparable to anything else. A few yearsago, a PhD student from a Chinese university argued that the chariot on the jar should be depicted going uphill, not downhill. I disagreed with him.”
“Uphill?” I questioned. “That doesn’t make sense. Whether meeting Su Dai or rescuing his student, Guiguzi wouldnever be heading uphill.”
He nodded, “Exactly. That’s why I disagreed. And you know, Chinese philosophy emphasises...”
I interjected. “Chinese philosophy emphasises humility. Guiguzi’s seated posture and the chariot facing downhillembody this humility. Chinese people often name their study rooms ‘Half-Moon Cabin’ or ‘So-and-so Cottage’ becausefull moon implies fullness which is not conducive to...”
I couldn’t find the right words to express “humility brings benefit, arrogance invites loss”.
“Not conducive to practise asceticism,” he said. “Chinese culture values the ‘Golden Mean’.” I was pleased to seehis deep understanding of Chinese culture and said, “I hope you’ll remember one day that another PhD student fromChina said this is not a scene of Guiguzi meeting Su Dai.”
He nodded and said, “Yes, it’s not a meeting scene. It should be them descending the mountain after their meeting.”
I was delighted that he agreed with my interpretation. Yan seized the moment and asked, “Can we take a photo withyou?” This time, he obliged.
Mr. Eskenazi came from a family of antique dealers and had given up his medical career to take over the gallery fromhis father. The business had been in the family for three generations, and his son was now taking it over from him. Despite being in his 80s and a bit unsteady on his feet, he personally greeted all visitors at the door, gave them ample space to appreciate the collection and made himself available to answer questions. Through his demeanor and actions, I felt hisreverence for Chinese art.
Before leaving, Yan and I purchased two copies of a catalogue that was printed especially for the exhibition. As I ranmy fingers over its glossy pages, I realized that Mr. Eskenazi was like the porcelain itself – gentle yet resilient, transparentand crystalline with a delicate glass glaze; bright as a mirror and resonant as a chime.
About the author
Cai Fang is an Associate Professor at the School of Foreign Languages, Jiangxi Normal University; and a visiting scholar in the Department of English at the University of Cambridge.
朱塞佩·埃斯卡纳齐（Giuseppe Eskenazi），是经营东方古董的世界级泰斗，亚洲顶级古董收藏家，曾因 2005年 7 月在伦敦佳士得的拍卖会上以 1568.8 万英镑（约合人民币 2.3 亿）的高价买下元青花“鬼谷子下山”图罐而轰动整个收藏界。这个价格创下了当时中国文物价格的世界记录，至今仍然是中国瓷器的最高成交价。此举具有里程碑性质的意义，他为中国艺术品走向世界立下了不可磨灭的功劳。
说是“偶遇”，实则是我慕名而去。事先我有一种预感，我会遇见埃斯卡纳齐先生，因为据说他平日没事都会在伦敦克利福德街 10 号他的艺术品画廊里，何况我去的那天，他们画廊正举办50 周年特别展。开展后的第二天上午，我和艳来到了埃斯卡纳齐艺廊。这里地处伦敦繁华地带，与苏富比、邦翰思等拍卖行比肩而立。当艺廊的三层小楼出现在面前时，只见门口飘扬着一面白底蓝绿字样的招牌旗帜，上面非常醒目地书写着 ESKENAZI ；玻璃橱窗上还印刻着 50 周年纪念展的时间。艺廊里挂着的正面朝外的大幅“鬼谷子下山”卷轴宣传画，从街道的另一边都能清楚地看见。我朝窗户里面打探着，艳举步就想进去。我拉住她：“等等，让我想想怎么说？万一埃斯卡纳齐在呢？我要怎么表达对他的……”我的话音未落，门打开了。“请进来，”一位老者朝我们招呼着。“埃斯卡纳齐先生！您就是，对吧？”我兴奋地认出了给我们开门的人，正是被中国收藏界称为“中国瓷器收藏教父”的人物。他笑笑，指着画廊里面说：“你们要看的瓷器在里面，请往里走。”“能不能先与您合张影啊？见到您太兴奋了。”我急不可待地提出要求，看起来我对他的兴趣比对那个元青花瓷罐更浓啊。他摇摇头，说道：“不，不要合影。”又用手指指了指里面。我们不再强求，朝里走，去看被称为“袖珍而完美”的“四瓷一玉”展品。虽然我心里有些遗憾，觉得连自我介绍和表达对他保存中国文物的敬意都没说，好像有些失礼；我脚上穿的那双读博期间用于陶瓷田野调查的旅游鞋，也显得有些不太得体；但“鬼谷子下山”图罐没有让我失望，那么精美的构图、深沉浓郁的钴料发色、细腻灵动的画工，和我想象得一模一样。器型倒是比我想象中的要大。事实上，我亲眼所见的所有元代瓷器的器型都比我想象中的要大。大器型既满足了马背上南征北战的元代蒙古人的需求，也反映了瓷器的烧造工艺在元代的提高，更体现出当时海外贸易的繁荣。据明代《瀛涯胜览》记载，爪哇“国人坐卧无床凳，吃食无匙箸”，吃饭时“围坐，用盘满盛其饭，浇酥油汤汁，以手撮入口中而食”。难怪他们“最喜中国青花瓷器”，出口到西域的元青花大盘大罐，很好地契合了当地人围坐而食的饮食习惯。
我和艳对着瓷罐一顿猛拍，照片、视频、自拍、互拍，拍完又静静地欣赏它的每一处细节。此时的画廊里只有我们两位观者。
看到墙上有对这个瓷罐的介绍，我凑过去读。它以上图下文的形式，介绍了这件瓷器。制造时间是在元代，高度是 27.5 厘米。两幅图分别是瓷罐“鬼谷子下山”的一面和版画插图里的原样。文字部分用英文写到：“这只独特的罐子是元代青花瓷器的代表作，是当时为数稀少的描绘叙事性场景的瓷器之一。这类瓷器的画面原型大多来自于版画插图。这里描绘的是一个关于圣人兼哲人鬼谷子下山去援救他的学生孙膑的历史故事。鬼谷子威风凛凛地坐在两头猫科动物拉的单坐座驾上。画面表现了他和齐国使节苏代会面的场景，后者骑在一匹花斑马上，他赶来向鬼谷子求援。与此类似的构图出现在 14 世纪 20 年代一本书中的插图上。当时蒙古统治者对雕版印刷术的支持和追捧，带来了这个行业的复兴，于是在福建建安出现了几个繁华的雕版印刷中心。很显然，附近景德镇瓷窑的工人能够获得这些插图素材。”读完，我对其中两处文字存疑，就叫住正朝我们这边走来的埃斯卡纳齐。我试探性地问道：“埃斯卡纳齐先生，我可以问您一个问题吗？我对这里的两个用词有不同的理解。”他停住，点头示意他愿意回答我的问题。我说：“‘猫科动物’这个词，我不知道是否用得恰当。在元代平话本和平话插图里都是‘二虎’，但这瓷罐上画的是一虎一豹。我想我会用‘二兽’来描述瓷罐上的动物。您觉得呢？”他说：“对，画面表现是和文本描写不一样。这只瓷罐曾经在 2012 到 2013 年被借到上海博物馆展出了半年，当时我们讨论过这个话题，大家觉得用这个词来形容没问题。”我接着问：“还有‘会面’这个词，我不认为这是鬼谷子和苏代会面的场景。从画面构图和他们的肢体动作来看，都应该是他们会面结束之后，是鬼谷子和苏代一起下山去实施救援的场景。您看苏代骑马跟在他后面。而会面场景应该是面对面的。您说呢？”他答道：“你要知道中国瓷器是独一无二的，中国画的表现手法是含蓄的，不是直接的，所以没有画他们面对面的样子，并不能说明这不是会面场景。”我坚持道：“我知道，我的博士论文研究过这个。我将中国瓷器与希腊瓶画对比，希腊瓶画的表现手法就很直接。但这里不存在含蓄的问题，鬼谷子坐的车就是朝下山的方向，他们已经完成了会面。”
他一听急了：“你怎么能将中国瓷器与希腊陶瓶对比呢？中国瓷器是独一无二的。”我笑道，“是我没说清楚。我对比的是他们两者之间讲述故事的方式，不是对比制作工艺或其他的。我关注的是图像上面的故事。我已经收集了中国瓷器上的两百多个故事画题了。您这个‘鬼谷子下山’是其中很重要的一个。”他舒了一口气：“噢，那还差不多。中国瓷器独一无二，没有什么能与它相比。几年前，有一个说是中国某个大学来的博士，他认为罐子上画的车不对，不应该画朝下山的方向，应该画鬼谷子上山的方向。我不同意他的观点。”“上山？为什么？没有道理啊。无论是与苏代会面，还是去救援学生，鬼谷子都是不可能朝山上走的啊。”我说道。他边点头边说：“就是。所以我说不同意他的观点。而且你知道中国的哲学讲究的是……”我接过话来：“中国人的处事哲学讲究的是谦虚，鬼谷子的坐姿和车身都体现朝下谦和之态。中国人喜欢给自己的书斋命名‘月半山房’或者‘某某草堂’，都是因为月满为盈不利于……”我一下子想不出什么词来表达“谦受益 满招损”的意思。他接过去说道：“不利于修行。中国文化讲究中庸之道。”我很高兴知道他对中国文化有这么精深的了解，说道：“希望有一天您还会记得来自中国的另一个博士说过那不是鬼谷子与苏代会面场景。哈哈，您同意我的说法吗？”他点头，说道：“是的，不是会面场面，应该是他们会面结束以后下山去。”我一听，很高兴他认可了我的观点。艳很机灵，她看老先生正高兴着，就试探性地问道：“我们两个可以和您合张影吗？”他点头同意了。
一个很和蔼可亲的老人啊！之前我们闲聊的时候，站在过道上，挡住了一位前来参观的女孩的路，他都自语到：“噢，我们挡了她的路了。”然后，主动给她让路。老先生 80 多岁了，行走有些不太利索，画廊里雇了两个中国女孩在帮忙。可他一听到门铃响，就走过去开门。看见有人来看他的藏品，脸上就带着笑容。他给予观者足够的空间让他们欣赏藏品，又时不时在附近走动，有需要就作讲解。他还跟我们介绍到：“我们家族已经传承三代了，我从我父亲手里接管这家画廊，我儿子现在又接管过去了。”我知道他的历史，他家是古董世家，他曾经为了父亲的意愿，放弃了自己从医的职业生涯。当然，他从小耳濡目染，也喜欢这一行。言谈举止间，我体会到他对中国艺术品深深的挚爱。打开了话匣子的他继续说道：“我们为这次展览特意出版了图录，但今天这里只有20 本。如果你们要，我只能卖给你们一本。但下周一会有 2000 本来。”我说到：“我们是早起的鸟儿，展览一开展就来了，所以……”他说道：“所以，Early birds get the worms.（早起的鸟儿有虫吃。）”艳坚持也要一本，她说：“我也要一本。我和她不是一起的，她在剑桥，我在伦敦。”他同意了。那位雇来的中国员工立刻上楼去拿了两本下来。唯一遗憾的是，当时只顾着和老先生聊天，又兴奋激动地拍照、拥抱告别，竟然忘记请埃斯卡纳齐先生给书签名了。艳在伦敦的住处离画廊不远，后来她带着书去找老先生补了签名。
因为疫情原因，当天来现场参观的人并不多。所以那天离开时，我询问是否可以把我们拍的照片和视频发在社交媒体上，这样可以让更多海外感兴趣的人看到。他爽快地说道：“当然可以，中国器物之美应该让更多的人欣赏到。”
一件瓷器、一个有趣的人、一座城市、一段美好的回忆。在我寻瓷路上接触到的那些喜爱瓷器的人士，他们好像吸纳了瓷器的精髓，温润又硬气，有着一股如玻璃釉一般透明、晶莹的品质，明如镜、声如磬。
作者介绍
蔡芳，江西师范大学外国语学院副教授，博士，硕导，剑桥大学英文系访问学者。
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