Alcohol in Chinese Art and Culture

Drinking alcohol, 酒 (jiǔ) is a vital part of Chinese custom and culture. Chinese food employs jiǔ in its recipes and it is indispensable in formal dining culture. Jiǔ was also crucial to religious and aristocratic ceremonies.

Historically, Chinese people would celebrate their wine culture and appreciate its accompanying artefacts by participating in a winding stream party: "曲水流觞" (qū shuǐ liú shāng), which originated in ancient China during the Western Zhou period (1046 – 771 BCE) and. A winding stream party typically involves gathering along the banks of a meandering stream or river to enjoy leisurely activities, such as drinking, dining, poetry recitation, music, and appreciating nature.

On 10th May, Roseberys hosted an opening evening for Ancestors & Alcohol: The History of Wine in Chinese Culture. It was a themed exhibition showcasing highlights of the upcoming May 15th and May 16th auction that are connected to Chinese drinking and ritual culture over the past 3,000 years. Architectural designers Ioana Oprescu and Oscar Maguire presented a striking winding table for the Asian Art department—a contemporary take on the ancient Chinese winding stream party, known as the Lanting Gathering.

Many exquisite artefacts were created as vessels for alcohol. Vases of pear-form shape are called 玉壶春（yùhúchūn）(lit. ‘Jade Bottle Springtime’) in Chinese. The earliest known yùhúchūn vase was made in the Sui dynasty (581-618). During the Song dynasty, such vases were made by the Ding, Longquan, Jingdezhen, Ru, Yaozhou, and Jun kilns. According to The Palace Museum, yùhúchūn were used as wine vessels from the Song to Yuan dynasty, and used as flower vases during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Complete Tang Poems (《二十四诗品·典雅》, Si Kongtu writes 'buy a yùhúchūn vase full of Spring Wine, and hear rain falling on my thatched cot 300

Lot 48: A Chinese copper-red-glazed pear-shaped vase, yùhúchūn, Qianlong seal mark and of the period

Throughout history, Chinese alcohol was warmed before drinking. Warming it gently would accentuate the aromas without losing too much alcohol. The appropriate temperature would vary according to drink type and personal preference, but the average would be somewhere between 30 to 50 degrees Celsius. To maintain the best taste in the drink, it is important to keep the Chinese alcohol warm not only in the ewerer, but also in the cup.

A highlight of Roseberys' wine section in the May 15 sale is a pair of Mid-Qing dynasty wine warmers, ewers and covers. Each is formed of a globular lower vessel for hot water, flanked with animal mask handles at the shoulder, surmounted by a pear-shaped upper section terminating in a cylindrical insert to hold the wine that is to be warmed. Vessels of similar decoration and shape to the present lot began to be produced during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng (1709-1722), who was interested in Daoist rituals, which often involved alcoholic substances; the double-gourd shape of the present vessels would recall a wish to eternal life.

Lot 49: A pair of Chinese blue and white and iron-red double-gourd sectional wine warmers, ewers and covers,Mid-Qing dynasty

Chinese wine vessels were made of many different materials. Precious and elaborate rhinoceros-horn cups were produced widely from the sixteenth century onward. Often presented as gifts at court, these libation cups were thought to be the best material for the wine cups since not only can it enhance the wine’s fragrance, but also because the horn could help detect certain poisons in the drink.

Lot 30: A Chinese full-tip rhinoceros horn libation cup, Qing dynasty, 19th century

During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), cloisonné art became highly developed and widely popular among the Chinese elite and imperial family. Hence, apart from porcelain, one of the most typical materials for wine ewers made in the 16th/17th century was cloisonné-enamel. The Ming Dynasty is often seen as the golden age of this exquisite art form. The colours used in Ming cloisonné are typically vivid, deep and rich, with a wide range of hues.

Also during the Ming dynasty, Dehua or Blanc de Chine white porcelains became exceptionally pure and refined. Fujian craftsmen adopted skills and designs from other kiln sites and craft workshops, creating some of their iconic designs which became very popular in both domestic and overseas markets. For example, the 'libation cup', a type of vessel whose form is derived from carved rhinoceros horn.

Lot 37: A Chinese Dehua 'blanc-de-Chine' libation cup, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period

Fujian Dehua potters also adopted the shape and designs from Shang dynasty bronze vessel, Jue, a typical wine-pouring vessel standing on three flared feet.

Lot 38: A Chinese Dehua 'blanc-de-Chine' archaistic wine-pouring vessel, jue, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period