Page 9 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK
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fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
எӬ ࢈ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦
Only two dishes of similar massive size (D: 62 cm.) with the same ⯝ទᐽ⧻卻ऑᇎ ݩߎ卼ǯᝤ㞒㇝
decoration as the current dish appear to be known. Significantly, ⎏ᛓ卿ݯԋӬ߅⯇࢈ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴Ⅷ⻦卿
one of these is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
எǶ䂆ᯛ㬪≢Ƿஎ‸ 卻࢈厍 卼厎
(illustrated in Longquan qingci, Beijing, 1966, pl. 57), and the other is
औӬྏᙻᏤࢽᬘ⎏റᙱᝩႽஇக⪆ݯⅧ
in the collection of the Ottoman Turkish court, in the Topkai Saray
⻦卿எ߿㘚ⶬהǶ$IJOFTF $FSBNJDT JO UIF
(illustrated Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul, op.
5PQLBQJ 4BSBZ .VTFVN *TUBOCVMǷ㮰 ⤔⽚
cit., p. 304, no. 244). While there has been some debate as to whether
these three dishes date to the Hongwu reign (1368-98) or the Yongle ǯ㘺Ӳ։ה♾⛋ᛓᰪ᫋卻ݩ݉ ⯍
reign (1403-24), both the crisply defined shape and certain aspects ჺ卼Ꮅ᭦ᦼ卻ݩ݉ ⯍ ჺ卼ㅳ卿
of the decoration seem, to the current author, to suggest a Hongwu ഌ།ཌ᫉խᝳ…㍗卿ֿལݯᣥ㈍ߎᚺ⎏㙁
date. The specific form of the floral scroll in the centre of these
⯝⡠㱈⁞ᇨ⏭卿✖⩢ᝤ۞शᙻཆԠᙷջἃ
three dishes resembles that seen on some Hongwu underglaze red
ᰪ᫋⁒ǯӲ⩢⏎ᇵ⎏⦞៨Ɽࢭ㙁⁞卿
decorated vessels from the Jingdezhen kilns. A case in point is the
⯝Ӭ⢑ᰪ᫋ᛞឆ⎏ᜀᇪ㤯㞏ㅏ⡚≢㯄ἃᓞ
scroll around the internal sides of a large Hongwu bowl decorated
㘆ǯ࢈ᘢ༈Ⅷ⻦Ӭ։ᰪ᫋㞏ㅏ⡚ഌ⎾卿ݯ
in underglaze copper red in the collection of the Palace Museum,
Beijing (illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (I), ݤ⎏⦞៨⡠㱈ལ᫉הԻᝬצ⎏㊀㞐卿எ
op. cit., p. 242, no. 223) (fig. 1). The inclusion of auspicious emblems ߿㘚Ƕᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦ᙔ⁒Ⅷݥ㫀 厍㬪Ɽ
– such as double -cash, coral, double -lozenge, crossed horns, and 㞏ㅏ⡚卻ӳ卼Ƿ㮰 ⤔⽚ 卻எӬ卼ǯ
lotus flower- in the decoration of the interior sides of the current
ទᐽݤऑᯒӴ㱈ݨ༾卻ൈऒ㢲ǮⅤ⇣Ǯ
dish is very rare on Longquan celadons. However, these emblems were
ᙹࡠǮ㈍ࣿ⸥Ɽ卼卿㘺ங䂆ᯛ㬪≢ԋࢦߎ
used on Yuan dynasty porcelain vessels decorated in underglaze blue
⧎卿ֿ࣐⊇ᙻᜀᇪ㤯⎏㞏Ӵ㬪Ɽ݉≢ǯ
from the Jingdezhen kilns.
⣐ӳᏒ㘚卿ज㘺։צ൘ഌ⏎ᇈज⬒ᛓ⁞ἃ
In the light of all this information, therefore, it seems probable that
the current magnificent dish was made for the court of the Hongwu ᰪ᫋⎑Ⴝ῟㙁Ԡ⁒卿Ԯ㉓ᛓ༈ᅡ⊇≢卿Ԯज
emperor, whether for his own use or as a gift for a fellow monarch. ⬒ᛓ㲅㐩㜐இाℳ⎏ംՒ◶⁒ǯ
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