Is "beautiful and useless" a kind of praise?

Vase, term. Modern people sometimes use it as an "adjective". Describe a person's outstanding appearance but useless, beauty and useless, and some derogatory significance in it.

▲ "Fuqin Map" (partial)

Chen Hongzhang in the Ming Dynasty Taipei Palace Museum

However, if you return to the vase as "a container, a bottle utensil that is used to carry flowers and furnish appreciation" itself, beauty, useless, is a kind of praise in a sense.

For a bottle, flower arrangement is actually only part of its functional possibilities.

In addition, Shengjiu, water drawing, baptism ... are "bottle" as a common function of an open container in ancient times.

The value of a bottle does not depend on whether it is "useful", and even the development of its most important value is "no", and its aesthetic significance is greatly highlighted.

Jun Kiln Tian Blue Glaze Yuhu Spring Bottle, Palace Museum Collection

The jade pot spring bottle was shaped during the Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, it was a practical appliance with wine. Later, gradually evolved into ornamental furnishings.

A net bottle, a daily life appliance, used for water storage, rinse, and after a meal, it was given a religious meaning by drinking, cleaning, or after meals.

▲ Ming Yongle blue and white jade pot spring bottle

Palace Museum

There is a saying that "useless use is for great use." This is not advocating useless. To be completely practical.

However, if a bottle is placed there, there is no need to insert flowers, or it is worth appreciating other things.

For example, the traditional classic bottle style of ancient Chinese ceramics, the plum bottle, began in the Tang Dynasty, and became popular after the Song Dynasty.

▲ Tang Bailang Plum Bottle Palace Museum Tibetan

▲ Yuanjun Kiln Sky blue glaze purple red spot plum bottle

Palace Museum

In the Song Dynasty, the plum bottle was also called "via bottle". Because the Song Dynasty had a systematic lecture system, the emperor led the minister to collect the scriptures collectively, and often used this bottle to drink alcohol to drink after learning. This bottle is also common in folk Washe wine restaurants. The plum bottle is a practical utensil with a bottle cap with a bottle cap. The type of device is generally large.

▲ Ming Jiajing blue glaze plum bottle

Palace Museum

From the beginning of entering the field of appreciation and tasting, to the development of the elegant decorations that are loved by people in daily life, the bottle device is gradually behind the booster of the decorator. During the two Song Dynasty, furniture generated major innovation, and people's living activities developed from low to high.

▲ "Platform"

Northern Song Dynasty Wang Juzheng Boston Art Museum

With the development of furniture such as tables and cases, interior furnishings have begun to change.

In people's simple, natural, rustic, and elegant aesthetics, flowers have gradually become a popular social fashion.

▲ "Shan Pavilion Cold Map Axis" (partial)

Ming Zhou Chen Taipei Palace Museum

It can be seen from the painting and literature records that most of the vases appear in the halls and study of the ancients. Matching elegance such as calligraphy and painting, pen and ink, and incense.

All kinds of elegance constitute the entire system of ancient home aesthetics. The vase is one of the requirements, occupying important seats in it.

▲ "Gao Shi Yanqing Map"

Southern Song Dynasty Anonymous Taipei Palace Museum

People have gradually gained certain standards for the aesthetics of "bottle". "Following vases must also be fine."

The style of the bottle is more antique, and the flowers are made according to the seasons; advocating the fresh and elegant style, value porcelain bottle, copper bottle, and look at light gold bottle and silver bottle.

The type of various porcelain bottle is also richer: the self -wine vessels have evolved into the plum bottle, jade pot spring bottle of the furnishings; The ear bottles made of imitation of the pot in the Han Dynasty; the gourd bottle, melon bottle imitation of natural melon and fruit ...

The bottle -type changes, "Fine and moisturizing, are all the sophistication of flowers."

▲ Mingge glaze gourd bottle

Palace Museum

All kinds of bottle decorate the lives of lovers, and at the same time, it also projected its own graceful charm and charm.

Even without flowers, a beautiful bottle itself is already an excellent elegant appreciation in the home space.

▲ Song Longquan kiln green glaze -style bottle

Palace Museum

In home life, although the vase is only a very small "point", its creation of the atmosphere is "from point and face" to the entire space. Insert a bottle of flowers, or the flowers, or the flowers and fruits are fragrant, or only pine branches, bamboo, and green leaves ... The flower and bottle are all clever finishing touch in the living space.

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