Page 153 - Christie's IMPORTANT CHINESE Ceramics and Works of Art may 28 2021 hk

宣德青花夔龍紋罐

蘇玫瑰 國際亞洲藝術部學術總監

Zhushan imperial kilns in 1982 (see Chang Foundation, op. cit., p. 120, no. F.5). 頁 120 編號 F.5。

Only four Xuande-marked jars similar to the current vessel are known. One of 已知實物中，近似本罐且署宣德款者僅四例。其一
these, formerly in the collection of Xun Yingzhou, is preserved in the collection
of the Palace Museum, Beijing and is illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain 為孫瀛洲舊藏，現藏北京故宮博物院，圖見《故宮
with Underglaze Red (I), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, 博物院藏文物珍品全集 35：青花釉裏紅 ( 下 )》頁
Hong Kong, 2000, p. 106, no. 100. (fig. 1) Another example is now in the 106 編號 100 ( 香港：2000)。另一例今藏劍橋斐茲
collection of then Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. This jar had previously 威廉博物館，它曾納入吳賚熙、Lindsay F. Hay 少
been in the distinguished collections of Wu Lai-hsi ( 吳賚熙 Wu Laixi), Major 校及 Soame Jenyns 等重量級珍藏，先後於 1937 年
Lindsay F. Hay, and Soame Jenyns, and had been sold by Sotheby’s London in 5 月及 1939 年 6 月兩度經倫敦蘇富比拍出。第三
May 1937 and again in June 1939. A third similar example is in the collection
of the National Museum of China, Beijing and is illustrated in Zhongguo 例為北京中國國家博物館珍藏，圖見《中國國家博
Guojia Bowuguan guancang wenwu yanjiu congshu (Studies on the Collections of 物館館藏文物研究叢書：瓷器卷 ( 明代 )》圖版 29
the National Museum of China) Ciqi juan: Mingdai (Porcelain volume: Ming ( 上海：2007)。第四例出自一名英倫女史珍藏，於
dynasty), Shanghai, 2007, pl. 29. A fourth example was sold by Sotheby’s 2017 年 10 月經倫敦蘇富比拍出 ( 拍品編號 101)。
London, from the collection of an English Lady, in October 2017, lot 101.
如前所述，宣德瓷以夔龍為飾者少如鳳毛麟角，而
Kui dragons are, as mentioned above, rare on porcelains of the Xuande reign,
appearing only on a small number of blue and white pieces, but they appear on 且僅見於寥寥數件青花之作，但成化朝的青花與鬥
both blue and white and doucai porcelains in the Chenghua period, when they 彩瓷器均有其身影：這些夔龍紋或於盌壁昂首濶
appear striding around bowls of various sizes (see The Emperor’s broken china - 步，其器型大小不一，圖見《The Emperor’s broken
Reconstructing Chenghua porcelain, op. cit., p. 58, no. 59, and Tsui Museum of Art, china - Reconstructing Chenghua porcelain》頁 58 編
A Legacy of Chenghua, Hong Kong, 1993, pp. 260-1, no. C86), and also forming 號 59，以及《成窯遺珍：景德鎮珠山出土成化官
roundels (see Tsui Museum of Art, A Legacy of Chenghua, op. cit., pp. 210-11, no.
C61). Kui dragons also appear in underglaze blue on Chenghua doucai lidded jars 窯瓷器》頁 260-1 編號 C86 ( 香港：徐氏藝術館，
of the type which bear the character tian on the base (see ibid., pp. 304-5, no. C108). 1993)；有的夔紋呈團龍狀，圖見徐氏藝術館前述著
作頁 210-11 編號 C61。釉下青花夔龍紋亦見於成
There are differences between the Xuande and Chenghua kui dragons, although 化鬥彩「天」字蓋罐，詳見前述著作頁 304-5 編號
both have proboscidiform snouts, which are always shown raised. They have
only two front legs with clawed feet, while the back part of the body trails C108。
off in a succession of ornate scrolls. Their mouths are always shown open
displaying both teeth and tongue, and they carry a scrolling plant stem in their 宣成二朝的夔紋各具特色，但兩者均象鼻上卷。它
mouths. However, the Xuande dragons appear more vital and powerful, and 們僅有二前足，帶利爪，龍尾以一連串曼妙的卷草
their long snouts terminate in a ruyi-shape, while the Chenghua version appears 紋構成。夔口定然大張，利齒長舌清晰可見，所
more pacific and has an elephant-like snout. It is also notable that the lower 啣仙草狀若靈芝。相形之下，宣德龍紋似乎更矯健
body of the Xuande kui dragons often appear to be scaly and reptilian.
氣派，其長鼻末端形似如意，而成化夔紋則較為祥
The Chenghua porcelains decorated with kui dragons are usually ascribed 和，其長鼻形狀與象鼻更為接近。值得一提的是，
to Buddhist use, since the Chenghua Emperor was a devout Buddhist. 宣德夔龍下半身多覆厚鱗，狀若爬行動物。
While Buddhism does not appear to have dominated the reign of the
Xuande Emperor to the same extent, nevertheless he followed the lead of 夔紋成化瓷多屬佛教用瓷，蓋因成化帝本身篤信佛
his grandfather, the Yongle Emperor, and continued, for example, to nurture 教。宣德一朝，佛教的地位雖不及成化，但宣德皇
good relations with the Tibetan Buddhist clerics. The Xuande Emperor also
commissioned craftsmen to produce fine gilt bronzes Buddhist figures and 帝仍沿襲了祖父永樂帝的做法，如一直與藏僧禮尚
additionally ordered vessels related to Buddhist usage from the imperial kilns 往來。宣德皇帝曾命巧匠精製鎏金銅佛像，更吩咐
at Jingdezhen. It is likely that jars such as the current outstanding example 景德鎮御窯燒造佛門用器。以本拍品為例，此類宣
were intended to be used for imperial Buddhist ritual. 德佳器很可能原屬皇家佛教儀式中的御用瓷器。

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