Page 182 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Important Chinese Ceramics and Art

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A RARE PARCEL-GILT SILVER REPOUSSE 遼 銀局部鎏金錘揲摩羯紋執壺

‘MAKARA’ EWER 來源
私人收藏，1999年於香港入藏
LIAO DYNASTY (907-1125)
此執壺以摩羯魚為主題，龍首魚尾，有羽翼，昂首趕火焰珠。摩羯魚是
The ewer is finely chased and rendered in repoussé with two 遼代藝術品中常見的紋飾，例如內蒙古喀喇沁旗曾出土一件遼代銀鎏金
medallions on the body each enclosing a winged Makara pursuing 雙摩羯紋盤，盤上兩條摩羯魚的造型與本壺上的非常相近，同樣口露利
a flaming pearl, characterised by its dragon-like head and fish-like 齒，頭上有分叉獨角，作趕珠狀，惟缺翼，見杜文著「鯉魚壺還是摩羯
tail detailed with scales, divided by two other rounded medallions 壺？」，《收藏》，2013年1期，圖10。另可參考內蒙古博物院藏一件遼
enclosing scrolling foliage, all against a ground chased and gilt with 代銀鎏金雙摩羯紋葵式盤，2010年2月6至5月15日展覽於《黃金旺族：內
scrolling lotus, repeated on the neck and spout, with two raised 蒙古博物院大遼文化展》。
bands of petals below the neck and above the foot. The handle
is chased with florettes with a raised flowerhead underneath. 摩羯魚源自印度神話，原來的形象多結合鱷魚、魚及象等元素，但在此
The foot is adorned with a band of repoussé petals. The base is 遼代執壺上的摩羯魚很明顯已「中國化」，最顯著的是火珠的出現，與
hammered with a raised gilt flowerhead at the centre. 中國「龍趕珠」紋飾雙輝映，摩羯作龍首魚尾狀，配以羽翼，另人聯想
7 in. (17.8 cm.) high, Japanese wood box 起《山海經》裏記載的有翼應龍。

HK$300,000-400,000 US$39,000-52,000 另外有一件遼三彩摩羯形執壺，魚口中啣火珠，造型與本器上之紋飾如
出一轍，可資參考，2008年3月19日於紐約佳士得拍賣，拍品525號。
PROVENANCE
此拍品附科學檢驗報告，可供索取。
A private collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1999

This rare wine ewer originally might have stood in a warming basin.
See, for example, the octagonal silver ewer and warming basin
engraved with floral design excavated in 1978 from a hoard found
at a Liao dynasty site at Belin Youqi in Ju Ud Meng, Inner Mongolia,
illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji - Gongyi meishu bian, vol. 10,
Beijing, 1987, p. 59, nos. 120-21.

The primary motif on the present ewer, the Makara, represented here as
a winged dragon-fish, is a popular subject found on Liao works of art.
Such an example is the Liao hexafoil parcel-gilt silver dish, decorated
in repoussé with two Makara fish, featuring very similar curled snouts,
gaping mouths, scaly bodies and fish-tails pursuing flaming pearls,
but lacking prominent wings. This dish was unearthed in Harqin
Banner in Inner Mongolia, illustrated in Du Wen, ‘Liyu hu haishi mojie
hu?’, Collections, 2013, vol. 1, fig. 10. Another Liao parcel-gilt mallow-
shaped dish decorated with a pair of Makara fish, in the Inner Mongolia
Museum Collection, was exhibited at the National Palace Museum,
Gold and Glory: The Wonders of Khitan from the Inner Mongolia Museum
Collection, Taipei, 6 February to 16 May 2010.

While the Makara appears to be a mythical beast of Indian origin
comprising elements from creatures such as crocodile, elephant and
fish, there is a considerable degree of sinicization to the ones on the
current ewer, most notably the pursuing of a flaming pearl, which is a
common theme found on Chinese art, as well as the dragon-like head
paired with wings, which echoes the yinglong, a form of winged dragon
mentioned in the Shanhai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas).

Compare also to a Liao sancai-glazed dragon-fish form ewer, in which
the Makara is very similarly depicted looking up to grasp a flaming
pearl, with curled snout, feathery wings and scaly fish tail, sold at
Christie’s New York, 19 March 2008, lot 525.

Refer also to a Liao parcel-gilt ewer chased with large petals around
the body, sold at Christie’s New York, 30 March 2005, lot 238.

A technical examination report for this lot is available upon request.

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