Page 50 - Classical Chinese Ceramics Vol 2 June 2016

3116 fig. 1
（圖一）
A RARE MOULDED DING ‘TORTOISE AND
CRANE’ DISH

JIN DYNASTY (1115-1234)

The centre of the dish is moulded with a crane with its head
backward-turned looking at a tortoise in a garden landscape with
pierced rock and bamboo. The cavetto is decorated with a band of
shaped panels, each enclosing a flowerhead and a butterfly, below
a band of keyfret patterns. It is covered inside and out with a pale
white glaze continuing over the narrow foot to cover the base.

5 ¿ in. (13.2 cm.), diam., box

HK$800,000-1,500,000US$110,000-190,000

In Chinese tradition, tortoise and crane are symbols of longevity.
The presence of both animals on the present dish could be seen
as a wish for longevity and such pieces are very suitable for a
birthday celebration. It seems that this rare design only appears
on two other Ding dishes, both with moulded chrysanthemum
petals in the well and leaf-shaped rim: one in the collection of the
Bureau of Cultural Relics of Quyang city, illustrated in Zhongguo
taoci quanji (Compendium of Chinese Ceramics), Tokyo, 1981,
vol. 9, no. 107; and the other was sold at Christie’s New York,
24 March 2004, lot 150 (fig. 1).

金 定窯印花龜鶴紋盤

龜、鶴同為象徵長壽的動物，本器心所飾龜鶴紋具有龜鶴齊壽之
意，當為祝壽所定製的定燒紋飾。龜鶴紋在定窯中極為罕見，見
諸出版的例子除本品外僅有兩例，皆出現於花口盤中：一件藏於
河北省曲陽縣文物保管所，載於《中國陶瓷全集9：定窯》，東
京，1981年，編號107，另一件於紐約佳士得拍賣，2004年3月24
日，拍品150號（圖一）。

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