CHEN Mingyuan 陈鸣远



Introduction

"人间珠玉安足取 ,岂如阳羡溪头一丸土。

君不见轮扁当年老斫轮,又不见梓庆削鐻如有神。

古来技巧能几人,陈生陈生今绝伦。"

----清康熙汪文柏

How many peerless treasures can you take earthly; yet they worth less than a pill of soil from a creek bank in Yangxian.

Don't you see old Lun Bian cut wood into wheel in those days; Ain't you see that Zi Qing's work was made in heaven.

Since ancient times, how many people can have such skills; Mingyuan Mingyuan no one come even close to you.

---- by WANG Wenbo of Kangxi reign of Qing dynasty. Translation by George Wang, Ph.D.



現今有可考的記述為:徐喈鳳(字竹逸,順治15年西元1658年進士)於清康熙25年(西元1686年)主修的《宜興邑志》記載:「鳴遠工製壺、盃、瓶、盒諸物,手法在徐士衡(友泉)、沈士良(君用)間,而款識書法獨雅健,有晉唐風格。」


從徐喈鳳修編的《宜興邑志》記述中可看出陳鳴遠于1686年時已經頗有名望,且書法款識亦甚高超。據載陳鳴遠為陳子畦之子,而陳子畦為蔣時英(伯荂)的女婿,則陳鳴遠為蔣時英之外孫。明末清初(約1644年)陳鳴遠年幼時跟隨外公蔣時英避兵禍于江、浙間的名門大戶,而與江、浙間的名門文士結下淵源。

依時間推斷陳鳴遠約出生于17世紀的30年代裡,到1686年約為50多歲,正值一般藝人的創作巔峯,這與徐喈鳳編修《宜興邑志》的年代和記述確可湊合。

一百年後吳騫于 清 乾隆51年(1786年)編輯的《陽羨名陶錄》記述:「陳鳴遠,名遠,號鶴峰,亦號壺隱(見宜興縣誌)。吳騫曰:鳴遠一技之能,間世特出,自百餘年來諸家傳器日少,故其名尤噪。足跡所至,文人學士爭相延攬,常至海塩館張氏之涉園,桐鄉則汪柯庭家,海寧則陳氏、曹氏、馬氏,多有其手作,而與楊中允晚研交尤厚。予嘗得鳴遠天雞壺一,細砂作,紫棠色,上鋟庚子山詩,為曹廉讓先生手書,製作精雅,真可與三代古器并列。竊謂就使與大彬諸子周旋,恐未甘退就邾莒之列耳。」上述吳騫于《陽羨名陶錄》──『陳鳴遠』中所提皆為活躍于17世紀末的名士,據此可印證出陳鳴遠的活躍時段同樣位於17世紀末。

陳鳴遠集17世紀以前紫砂傳統技藝之大成,無論是砂壺的『光貨』、『花貨』或是其他文房雜項等,皆有許多高水平的佳構傳世。陳鳴遠之後的紫砂藝匠直到21世紀的今日,尚無如此全能技藝,且藝術水平如此高超者。


题泥壶饮普洱/天青泥偷西铁

Drink Puerh with Yixing Clay Teapot/TianQingNi steals a poem from XiTie


普洱杯杯问,减肥须几年。

忽悠银万两,上当恨无边。

青竹然然趣,紫壶个个仙。

心宽天地美,事少睡鼾眠。

Drinking Puerh a cup after another, how many years I need for weight loss?

Tons of money spent, hatred endless obtained.

Smiley, smiley at bamboo, saint, saint of clay teapot.

Sky the limit with an open mind, sound sleep when worry free.

Qing Yixing Zisha Clay Teapot by CHEN Mingyuan 陈鸣远人生壶

Just confirmed this teapot has a great clay - It got refreshed completely after usage of just one day. Generally speaking, calligraphy is hard to imitate.

Comparison with the one from the book:

Similarity: shape and craftsmanship, clay, calligraphy

Difference: the one from the book has a more detailed handle, and a repaired knob.

ChenMingyuan陈鸣远朱泥描金小壶


Yixing Zisha Clay Brush Rest marked CHEN Mingyuan 陈鸣远笔搁


Yixing Zisha Clay Coarse-Grained Teapot marked CHEN Mingyuan 陈鸣远粗砂泥绘花诗文花鸟圆壶