Page 31 - Le Cong Tang Collection HK Nov 27 2017

fig. 1 Ablutions Basin of Yemeni Sultan al-Mujahid Sayf al-Din 'Ali. ca. 1321-1363. Edward C. Moore Collection,

Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891. Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
圖一 銅胎鑲銀摺沿洗，約 1321-1363 年間製

Edward C. Moore 於 1891 年贈予紐約大都會博物館

This rare and beautiful Yongle basin is a particularly successful melding of Chinese 這件珍貴的永樂盆，將借自西亞伊斯蘭教地區的
design with a form taken from the Islamic West. The distinctive form of the basin 器型，融入了中國的紋飾設計中，表現極為傑出。
has its origins in the Near East, where it was produced both in metal and in glass. A 此盆獨特的器型，係源自近東的金屬器與玻璃器。
14th century Syrian enamelled glass example (d: 29.2 cm.) in the collection of the 紐約大都會博物館所收藏的一件十四世紀敘利亞
Metropolitan Museum, New York, is illustrated by John A. Pope, Chinese Porcelains 釉彩玻璃盆（口徑 29.2 公分）便是一例，參見約
from the Ardebil Shrine, Philip Wilson, London, 1981, plate 135, B. Compare also 翰．波普著《阿德比爾寺之中國瓷器收藏》倫敦，
a Syrian/Egyptian brass basin with silver inlay dated to the 14th century in the 1981 年，圖版 135b。另參考一件藏於美國紐約大
Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrated by Feng Xianming, ‘Yongle and Xuande 都會博物館十四紀敘利亞 / 埃及馬木路克時期的
Blue-and-White Porcelain in the Palace Museum’, Chinese Ceramics Selected Articles 銅胎鑲嵌銀飾的折沿盆（圖一）。另一件十三至
from Orientations 1982-1998, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 177, fig. 10 (fig. 1); where it is 十四世紀埃及馬木路克時期的大盆（口徑 46 公分）
illustrated together with a Yongle blue and white basin in the Palace Museum. A 以銅嵌銀絲製作，現藏洛杉磯郡美術館，曾在倫
further inlaid silver metalwork example dated to 13th-14th century Egyptian Mamluk 敦海沃德美術館展覽並出版圖錄，參見《伊斯蘭
period is now in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and was 藝術》倫敦，1976 年，頁 189，圖 版 213 號。此
exhibited at the Hayward Gallery and published in The Arts of Islam, Arts Council of 展覽圖錄的作者指出，這類折沿盆沿襲了敘利亞
Great Britain, London, 1976, p. 189, no. 213.The authors of this exhibition catalogue 與埃及阿尤布王朝時期（公元 1238 至 40 年）既
point out that these basins follow a form that was already known in Syria and Egypt 有的器型，並在該圖錄中舉出一例，見同書，頁
in Ayyubid times (AD 1238-40) and refer to one in the same volume, cf. ibid., p. 181, 181，圖版 198，但這種早期的折沿盆，卻缺乏後
no. 198.This earlier version, however, lacks the very slightly waisted, straight sides and 來啟發中國瓷器那種盆腹微斂、直壁，以及伸轉
the sharp angle to a flattened rim that is characteristic of the later form that inspired 至折沿的銳利角度。另參考一件為納賽爾·薩巴赫·
the Chinese porcelain basins. A further example in the collection of Nasser Sabah al- 艾哈邁德·薩巴赫珍藏，載於《科威特國家博物
Ahmad al-Sabah is illustrated in Islamic Art in the Kuwait National Museum, The al- 館藏伊斯蘭藝術》，倫敦，1983 年，頁 94。
Sabah Collection, Marilyn Jenkins (ed.), London, 1983, p. 94.
上述的敘利亞玻璃器和馬木路克時期銅器之紋飾，
Despite the fact that both the Syrian glass example and the Mamluk brass example, 都以阿拉伯文字為主；但中國的青花折沿盆，卻
mentioned above, both bear decoration in which Arabic calligraphy plays a major 採取了迥異的裝飾風格。儘管某些盆心繪纏枝花
role, the Chinese blue and white porcelain versions of this form adopt a very 卉圖案，或折沿正面有石竹紋飾，反映出了近東
different decorative style. Although the arabesques on the interior base of some 的源流 ; 但其他部份的裝飾，則展現出純粹的中國
of the porcelain basins, and the pinks on the rim of others, have Near Eastern 風格。此類青花折沿盆可見於中國宮廷收藏，卻
origins, the rest of the decoration appears purely Chinese. The inclusion of such 未見於阿德比爾寺之收藏，且伊斯坦堡的托普卡
basins in the Chinese imperial collections, and the fact that none appear in the 比宮僅藏有一件，參見 J.Ayer 及 R.Krahl 所著，《伊
Ardebil collection, and only one in the collection of the Topkapi Saray in Istanbul, 斯坦堡托普卡比宮博物館之中國陶瓷》，第 2 冊，
illustrated by J. Ayers & R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum 倫 敦，1986 年， 頁 561， 圖 版 611 號， 及 頁 421
Istanbul, vol. II, Philip Wilson, London, 1986, p. 516, no. 611, and colour plate on p. 之彩圖，因此可以推測這類器皿雖具異國形式．
421, suggests that these vessels, despite their foreign form, were in fact intended for 但其實是針對中國達官顯貴製作，並非外銷瓷。
elite patrons in China and not as export wares.

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