Page 29 - Bonhams Asian Art Sydney November 4, 2020

80 81
A PAIR OF TURQUOISE AND AUBERGINE GLAZED POTTERY T. MISUGI, CHINESE PORCELAIN COLLECTIONS IN THE NEAR
CHIWEN ROOF FRAGMENTS EAST: TOPKAPI AND ARDEBIL
Ming dynasty Hong Kong University Press 1981
55.5cm high (2). Three volume set, hard cover in slip case,
31.5 x 24.5 x 13.5 (overall)
$800 - 1,200
$300 - 500
Chiwen, said to be one of the dragon's nine sons, has a dragon
head and fish tail. It is often installed as a pair on both ends of the 三杉隆敏，《中近東之中國瓷器》，香港中文大學，1981，3 全，精
main ridge on the roof, facing each other as if to swallow the ridge. 裝及封套
In some Buddhist sutras chiwen is said to attend to the God of Rain,
hence incorporating it in architecture borrows its fortuitous meaning of
avoiding fire. In practical term, ironically, it is used to prevent leaking as
it sits at the joint of the main and the the diagonal ridges.

明 松石綠及紫釉鴟吻脊獸

鴟吻，傳是龍生九子之一，龍頭魚身，因喜四處眺望而被置於殿脊，
成對向內張口若吞正脊，故又稱「吞脊獸」。鴟吻在佛經中是雨神座
下，能滅火，安脊頭取其喻意消災滅火。而在房屋結構上，鴟吻位於
正脊兩端和垂脊交匯點，卻是防水薄弱環節，因此實際作用乃是加固
防滲。

ASIAN ART | 29