Page 55 - Christie's July 9th 2020 Hong Kong Important Chinese Works of Art

449，圖版 197 號）（圖六）；蘇州博物館亦見一例，其
載於《中國美術全集—工藝美術編·3·陶瓷·下冊》，
上海，1988 年，頁 70，圖版編號 77（圖七）；一件曾為
Roy Leventritt（1875-1968）舊藏，且於 1949 年展於費
fig. 6 A blue and white ‘pomegranate’ dish. Xuande mark and period. 城藝術博物館，並刊於《An Exhibition of Blue-decorated
Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei Porcelain of the Ming Dynasty at the Philadelphia Museum of
圖六 明宣德 青花石榴紋盤 國立故宮博物院藏品
Art – October 19 through December 4, 1949》，倫敦，
1985 年，頁 30，圖版 54 號；另有一件藏於出光美術館，
In the case of Xuande blue and white dishes with
pomegranate blossoms, only five other extant examples 見《中國陶磁—出光美術館藏品圖錄》，東京，1987 年，
appear to have been published: one in the National Palace 圖版 638 號；最後則是 2018 年 10 月 3 日於香港蘇富比
Museum, Taipei, in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of 利國偉爵士雅藏專場出現的拍品 125 號。
Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, op. cit., 是件拍品所裝飾之石榴花紋實則別具吉趣。其花色豔
pp. 448-9, no. 197 (fig. 6); one in the Suzhou Museum, see 紅 — 不僅象徵喜慶，亦可鎮邪去惡。年節如五五端午，
中國美術全集 – 工藝美術編 3 陶瓷（下） Zhongguo meishu 實則為全年九毒首日。在龍舟競渡慶贊之時，為驅瘟辟
quanji – Gongyi meishu bian 3 Taoci (xia), Shanghai, 1988, 邪，石榴花朵之吉祥寓意，正好可作消災解厄之用。
p. 70, no. 77 (fig. 7); one from the Roy Leventritt (1875-
1968) collection, published in An Exhibition of Blue-decorated
Porcelain of the Ming Dynasty at the Philadelphia Museum of
Art – October 19 through December 4, 1949, re-printed London,
1985, p. 30, no. 54; one in the Idemitsu Collection, illustrated
in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, no.
638; and, lastly, one sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong from the
collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee, 3 October 2018, lot 125.

The pomegranate flowers on the current dish were
particularly auspicious. Pomegranate blossoms are naturally
brilliant red – a colour associated with not only with
celebration but also defence against evil. Pomegranate flowers
appear, for instance, on many items associated with the festival
held on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, 端
午節 Duanwujie, which is associated with dragon-boat races,
but is also regarded as the most pernicious day of the year.
In this context, and others, the pomegranate flowers were
believed to offer protection. fig. 7 A blue and white ‘pomegranate’ dish. Xuande mark and period.
Collection of the Suzhou Museum
圖七 明宣德 青花石榴紋盤 蘇州博物館藏品

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