Page 234 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Important Chinese Ceramics and Art
P. 234
3191
3191
A VERY RARE BLUE AND WHITE ‘MYTHICAL 外壁繪五爪龍、狐狸、麒麟、牛等各式瑞獸，盌心飾團龍戲珠紋。底青
花雙圈內書「大明萬曆年製」楷書款。相同紋飾的例子頗為罕見，迄今
ANIMALS’ BOWL 似僅見其他二例，其一於香港佳士得 2011 年 6 月 1 日拍賣，拍品 3827 號，
其二於香港蘇富比 2013 年 4 月 8 日拍賣，拍品 3122 號。類似主題的萬
WANLI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A 曆例子則可比較一件李寄斬蛇圖盌，其口沿亦飾一圈折枝花卉紋，見香
港大學《爐火純青 – 嘉靖及萬曆官窯瓷器》展覽圖錄圖版 80 號；以及
DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1573-1619) 一件瑞獸紋小盤，其畫風尤其是對麒麟的描繪與此盌十分類似，見同上
圖版 87 號。
The deep rounded sides are well painted with a continuous band
of animals, including five-clawed dragons, fox, qilin and ox, above 3192
six of the Eight Treasures around the foot and below a band of
detached flowering and fruiting sprays around the mouth rim. The
centre of the interior is painted with a medallion enclosing a five-
clawed en face dragon coiling around a flaming pearl.
6.5 in. (16.6 cm.) diam., Japanese wood box
HK$700,000-900,000 US$91,000-120,000 A RARE BLUE AND WHITE ‘FRUITS AND
明萬曆 青花瑞獸紋盌 雙圈六字楷書款 FLOWERS’ BOX AND COVER
Wanli-marked blue and white bowls of this pattern are rare, and only JIAJING SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A
two other examples appear to have been published, the first was sold DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1522-1566)
at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3827, and the second was
sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 April 2013, lot 3122. Elements from The centre of the domed cover is finely painted with seven various
this bowl can be found on other published examples decorated with floral and fruiting sprays above a frieze of similar design repeated
mythical scenes from the Wanli period. Compare the fruiting sprig on the sides of the box, all within double line borders.
border beneath the rim as well as the interior ‘dragon’ roundel with an 6 √ in. (17.3 cm.) diam., Japanese wood box
example decorated with a scene of Li Ji slaying a snake included in the
University of Hong Kong exhibition The Fame of Flame, Imperial Wares HK$350,000-550,000 US$46,000-71,000
of the Jiajing and Wanli Periods, Hong Kong, 2009, Catalogue no. 80,
and the depiction of qilin with a dish, ibid., no. 87. PROVENANCE
Acquired from Mayuyama Ryusendo between 1965-1975
A Japanese private collection
EXHIBITED
Kubosō Memorial Museum of Arts, Tokubetsu tenji: Higashi ajiya no
futamono (Special Exhibition: East Asian Boxes), Izumi, 18 March
– 13 May 1984, Catalogue no. 89 (fig. 1)
It is very rare to find a Jiajing-marked box with this design, as most
other examples are painted with either cranes or dragons. For a slightly
larger box and cover painted with cranes, compare to the example sold
at Christie’s New York, 22 March 2007, lot 306, and one with dragons,
sold at Christie’s New York, 17 March 2017, lot 1184.
3191 (mark)
232
