Page 6 - Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Christie's Hong Kong May 29, 2019

AN EXTREMELY RARE XUANDE FLOWER POT

WITH UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OVERGLAZE

IRON-RED DECORATION

Rosemary Scott
Senior International Academic Consultant Asian Art

Although the reign of the Xuande Emperor was relatively short (AD 明宣德
1426-1435), it was a period of intense imperial patronage at the kilns
of Jingdezhen, which resulted not only in the creation of porcelains
of exceptional quality but also a range of innovations in shape and 青花礬紅纏枝菊紋菱口花盆
decoration. The current rare flower pot provides an example of
innovation in both shape and decoration. In terms of shape, the 蘇玫瑰
excavations carried out at the Xuande strata of the imperial kilns at 亞洲藝術部資深國際學術顧問
Jingdezhen in the 1980s brought to light a range of different flower pot
forms including rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, lobed, bell-shaped,
tub-shaped and rounded (see Chang Foundation, Xuande Imperial
Porcelain excavated at Jingdezhen, Taipei, 1998, nos. 32, 33-2, 34-1, 34- 宣德朝雖國祚較短（公元1426至1435年），但朝廷對景
2, 35, 36 and 37). A further variant in flower pot form can be seen in
the two blue and white Xuande caltrop-flower shaped examples in the 德鎮御窯投入甚鉅，這不僅催生了一批絕色佳瓷，形制
collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, which also has an octagonal 與紋飾的變革之多亦讓人耳目一新。是次拍賣的珍罕花
flower pot in its collection (illustrated Gugong bowuyuan cang Ming chu 盆，其形制和紋飾的創新俱為宣德瓷中的佼佼者。就形
qinghua ci, xia ce, Beijing, 2002, pp. 226-229, nos. 115-7). Several of 制而言，1980年代景德鎮御窯遺址宣德地層的挖掘工作，
the excavated Xuande flower pots have petal-shaped flattened mouth 呈現了形態各異的花盆造型，如長方、六棱、八棱、瓣
rims, including nos. 34-1 and 35. Interestingly, while both of these 式、鐘式、水仙盆式及圓形等，詳見《景德鎮出土明宣
flower pots have mallow petal rims, the current Xuande flower pot has
a lotus petal rim. Both these petal forms are found on rims of other 德官窯瓷器》展覽圖錄編號32、33-2、34-1、34-2、
porcelain shapes of the period. 35、36及37（台北：鴻禧美術館，1998）。其中一種變奏
可參見北京故宮博物院藏二例宣德青花五棱花盆，館內藏
Apart from the difference in the petal shape of the rims, the current 品中尚有一例八棱花盆，圖見《故宮博物院藏明初青花瓷
flower pot is very similar in shape and size to the excavated flower
pot illustrated as no. 34-1 in the Chang Foundation catalogue. Both （下冊）》頁226-229編號115-7（北京：2002）。也有
vessels have a six-character Xuande mark written in a single horizontal 數例出土宣德花盆的瓣口折沿，圖見前述著作編號34-1
line within a reserved panel just under the rim. More significantly, 及35。有趣的是，雖然前述二例花盆均為葵口，但本拍品
both the excavated flower pot and the current vessel are decorated in 的口沿卻作蓮瓣形。而這兩種花口，均見於同一時期其他
a combination of underglaze blue and overglaze iron-red. However, 造型的瓷器。
while the excavated flower pot has red decoration on a blue ground,
which does not appear to have been very successful, the current flower 除了花口的差異，本拍品的形制、大小均與鴻禧美術館圖
pot has a well-painted underglaze blue floral scroll against an iron-red 錄編號 34-1 所示的出土花盆極為接近。兩者的口沿之下，
ground. This appears visually much more pleasing.
都在留白處書六字楷書宣德橫款。更重要的是，出土花盆
The combination of underglaze blue and overglaze iron-red is 和本拍品均糅合了釉下青花和釉上礬紅。然而，出土花盆
relatively rare on Xuande porcelain. Indeed, the use of overglaze iron- 雖在藍地之上繪礬紅紋飾，但效果不大理想，而本拍品礬
red does not appear to have been used at Jingdezhen until the Yuan 紅地上的釉下青花纏枝花卉紋則畫工精湛。以視覺效果而
dynasty, and then only very rarely. Porcelain shards decorated with
overglaze copper-green and overglaze iron-red were excavated from 言，本拍品無疑遠勝前者。
the Yuan dynasty remains at Luomaqiao, Jingdezhen (illustrated in
Fung Ping Shan Museum, Ceramic Finds from Jingdezhen Kilns, Hong 釉下青花與釉上礬紅的組合，在宣德瓷中較為罕見。事實
Kong, 1992, nos. 177 and 178). A very rare Hongwu example of the 上，景德鎮似乎要到元代始引進釉上礬紅，而且此後使用
use of overglaze iron-red dragon decoration on an imperial dish was 頻率甚低。景德鎮落馬橋曾出土以釉上銅綠和釉上礬紅為
found in 1964 in the early Ming section of the Yudai River that formed 飾的殘片，圖見《景德鎮出土陶瓷》編號 177 及 178（香
the moat around the inner palace at the Nanjing imperial palace 港：馮平山博物館，1992）。1964 年，在南京明故宮的
(illustrated A Legacy of the Ming, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 40-1, no. 22).
A rare bowl decorated with an overglaze iron-red phoenix, applied 內宮墻外，玉帶河明初一段曾發現一例珍罕的洪武御製釉
over a typical Yongle ‘sweet white’ glaze, was excavated in 1984 in the 上礬紅龍紋盤，圖見《朱明遺萃：南京明故宮出土陶瓷》
late Yongle stratum at the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen (illustrated in 頁 40-1 編號 22（香港：1996）。1984 年，景德鎮御窯
Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods Excavated from the Site 永樂晚期地層亦曾出土一例珍罕瓷盌，器身以經典的永樂

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