Page 216 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Important Chinese Ceramics and Art

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN

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A GROUP OF THREE ARABIC-INSCRIBED 明 或為正德 銅阿拉伯文爐瓶盒三事
BRONZE INCENSE VESSELS
款識：
MING DYNASTY, POSSIBLY OF THE ZHENGDE PERIOD 爐：「正德年製」四字篆書款

The group is comprised of a tripod li censer cast with a apocryphal 香不僅具有精神上的意涵，更能使人清心舒神。自宋代以來焚香成為文
人書房中不可或缺的一項重要活動，而作為文房清翫的爐、瓶、盒三事
Zhengde four-character seal mark, a bottle vase with two loop 則在明代成型。本拍品之爐、瓶、盒形制典雅，皆在開光內飾阿拉伯文
字，當與重視伊斯蘭教的正德時期（1506-1521）相關。正德朝瓷器及
handles, and a box and cover of square shape, all decorated with 其他藝術品中，大量出現有阿拉伯文字的作品，獨樹一幟。這與皇帝的
喜好有關，據信，正德朝權傾一時的宦官群體中有眾多回教徒，所以當
Arabic inscriptions reserved on fine ring-punched grounds. The 朝官窯瓷器中以阿拉伯文做裝飾的很多。這些阿文的內容大部分為宗教
經典，比如《古蘭經》的選段，例如大維德基金會收藏的一件座屏，載
metal has a warm reddish-brown patina. 於柯玫瑰著倫敦1992年出版《Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration
– Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain》，頁70，編號68。除此以外亦
The censer: 8 in. (20 cm.) across the handles; 有世俗詞句類的阿文裝飾，如筆山上常見的阿文「筆架」一詞。值得注
意的是，香亦被用於伊斯蘭教的祭典中，帶有阿文的香具也可能具有宗
the vase: 6 ½ in. (17 cm.) high; 教意義。

the box: 3 in. (7.6 cm.) square, box (3) 此類帶正德年款的阿文爐、瓶、盒三事可比照劉錫榮著，2013年北京出
版《鐘鼎茗香（三）榮齋清供珍賞》，頁94至95。亦可比香港佳士得
HK$800,000-1,500,000 US$110,000-190,000 2016年11月30日中出現的一組阿拉伯文銅瓶盒三事，拍品編號3394。

The Islamic inscriptions on these vessels may be translated as follows:
‘there is no God but Allah’ (censer), ‘glory be to God’ (vase), and ‘all
praise is due to God’ (box).

The present group of incense vessels decorated with Arabic writings
is often associated with the Zhengde reign (1506-1521), when Arabic
inscription became a popular decorative motif on imperial porcelain.
The majority of the Arabic inscriptions are religious or philosophical
in content and many of these are quotations from the Qur’an, such
as that on the blue and white porcelain table screen in the collection
of Sir Percival David, the inscription on which comes from Surat al
Jinn (LXXII) (illustrated by R. Scott in Elegant Form and Harmonious
Decoration – Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain, London, 1992,
p. 70, no. 68). A number of other inscriptions are secular and either
indicate the item’s functionality, such as ‘pen rest’, or are mottoes,
such as ‘Strive for excellence in penmanship, for it is one of the keys
of livelihood.’ It is believed that these porcelain pieces were produced
under the influence of powerful Muslim eunuchs in the imperial court.
It is interesting to note that incense burning was also a popular practice
among Muslims in their religious ceremonies.

A very similar incense set is illustrated by Liu Xirong, Zhongding
mingxiang (3): Rongzhai qinggong zhenshang, Beijing, 2013, pp. 94-95.
Compare also to an Arabic-inscribed incense set sold at Christie’s
Hong Kong, 30 November 2016, lot 3394.

mark on censer
爐底款識

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