Page 93 - Tianminlou Hong Kong Sotheby's April 3 2019

This piece is a rare version of an important and interesting 縱覽宣德青花，此盌趣緻高貴，頗為珍罕。同類盌者，瓷
type of blue and white bowls made during the Xuande 胎湛密，構造精實，壁厚約達1公分，且紋飾雍容典雅，
reign. Bowls of this group are remarkable for their expert 相輔而成燦然奪目之效。此類青花大盌僅短暫產於宣德年
potting and sturdy construction, with walls measuring 間，稍瞬即歇，然其紋飾變化不一而足。
almost 1cm in thickness, balanced by elegant and graceful
decorations. Made only for a short period of time in the 此類盌初為何用，學界尚無定論，有學者稱之曰骰子盌，
Xuande reign, bowls of this group are known with a variety 提出作為博具之可能，也有筆洗、果盌之說，甚或推斷為
of designs. 蟋蟀鬥盆，蓋因宣德帝酷嗜促織之戲以作消遣。沈德符
（1578-1642年）所撰《萬曆野獲編》有述，「我朝宣宗最
The original function of these bowls has not yet been
definitely determined. While they are often referred to 嫻此戲，曾密詔蘇州知府況鍾進千個」（譯文見劉新園，
as ‘dice bowls’ and may have been used as such, some 〈Amusing the Emperor: The Discovery of Xuande Period Cricket
scholars believe they were used as brush washers, as fruit Jars from the Ming Imperial Kilns〉，《Orientations》，1995年
bowls or for the popular game of cricket fights. The latter 9月，頁62）。存世及出土蟋蟀罐數量可觀，亦可佐證宣德
appears to have been a favourite pastime of the Xuande 帝鬥蟋之好。
Emperor. Shen Defu (1578-1642) in his Wanli yehuo bian 參考一盌，同飾纏枝牡丹，清宮舊藏，仍貯北京，刊於《
(Miscellaneous compilation of the Wanli period), recounts 故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系．青花釉裏紅（上）》，上
that Xuande ‘was most adept in [cricket] play. He sent 海，2000年，圖版145。且見台北故宮博物院藏盌，曾展
a secret edict to the magistrate of Suzhou prefecture, 於該院《明代宣德官窰菁華特展》，台北，1998年，編號
Kuang Zhong, to provide one thousand crickets as tribute’ 48。另一例，原屬布倫戴奇所藏，現為舊金山亞洲藝術博
(Liu Xinyuan, ‘Amusing the Emperor: The Discovery of 物館蓄，錄於 René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé，《Chinese
Xuande Period Cricket Jars from the Ming Imperial Kilns, Ceramics in the Avery Brundage Collection》，三藩市，1967
Orientations, September 1995, p. 62). The Emperor’s 年，圖版LI B。還有一例，東京出光美術館寶蓄，載於《
enthusiasm for this activity is further displayed by the 展開写真による中国の文様》，東京，1985年，圖版106。
relatively large quantity of extant and excavated porcelain
cricket jars of the period. 仍知二盌，紋飾同此，其一，售於香港蘇富比2002年5月7
A bowl of this design from the Qing Court collection and 日編號565，其二，原貯杜倫 Gulbenkian 東方藝術與考古博
still in Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of 物館，先後售於倫敦佳士得2004年11月9日，編號132，及香
Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain 港蘇富比2016年10月5日，編號3631。
with Underglaze Red (I), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 145; one
in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in 此類壁厚腹淺之盌，亦有繪番蓮者（本場拍品編號7）、繪
the Museum’s Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te 折枝瑞果者（拍品編號5）或繪纏枝花卉者（拍品編號9）
Imperial Porcelains of the Ming dynasty, Taipei, 1998, cat. 。同類盌另見其他花卉及吉祥紋飾，如薔薇、靈芝等。比
no. 48; another from the Avery Brundage collection, in 較大維德爵士舊藏月季紋盌，現為倫敦大英博物館雅蓄，
the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, is illustrated in 刊於 Margaret Medley，〈Regrouping 15th Century Blue and
René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé, Chinese Ceramics in the White〉，《東方陶瓷學會彙刊》，第34期，1962-63年，圖
Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco 1967, pl. LI B; 版3a。
and a fourth bowl in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo,
is published in The Panoramic View of Chinese Patterns,
Tokyo, 1985, pl. 106.
Two further bowls of this pattern were sold in these rooms,
7th May 2002, lot 565, and 5th October 2016, lot 3631,
the latter from the Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art and
Archaeology, Durham, previously sold at Christie’s London,
9th November 2004, lot 132.
These sturdy and shallow bowls are also known painted
with Indian lotuses, such as lot 7 in this sale, clusters of
fruits, lot 5, and composite floral scrolls, lot 9. Designs
of roses and lingzhi are also found on bowls of this type.
A bowl painted with roses from the Sir Percival David
collection, now in the British Museum, London, is illustrated
in Margaret Medley, ‘Regrouping 15th Century Blue and
White’, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol.
34, 1962-63, pl. 3a.

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