Page 10 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art December 2015 Hong Kong

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A RARE SWEET-WHITE ‘TIANBAI’ GLAZED VASE,
YUHUCHUNPING
Yongle
Of pear shape form with a waisted neck rising to a flaring rim, the full
body raised on a tall, flared foot, covered in an even lustrous ivory-
white glaze leaving the rounded foot unglazed showing fine biscuit.
30.6cm (12 1/16in) high

HK$600,000 - 800,000
US$77,000 - 100,000

明永樂 甜白釉玉壺春瓶

Provenance 來源:
A private American collection, by repute

傳美國私人收藏

Image courtesy of the Palace
Museum, Beijing

北京故宮博物院藏

Sweet-white, also known as tianbai glazed yuhuchunping vases, 瓶侈口，長頸，溜肩，垂腹，圈足外撇。通體施甜白釉。造型秀麗，
of plain design without incised anhua decoration are very rare. 釉面恬靜，簡約但不失典雅。
Improvements in firing practices involving experimenting with versatile
glaze stone and ash mixtures meant that monochrome glazes 永樂時期甜白釉瓷釉質潔白、溫潤肥厚，比之後宣德時期的更加光
produced during the early 15th century had fewer impurities, resulting 淨，釉面平整晶瑩，並分光素與刻、印紋兩種裝飾手法。
in purer glazes. This laid the foundation for the later periods in which
flawless glaze and firing methods were perfected to produce high 明代白釉玉壺春瓶不帶刻暗花者較為少見，唯見北京故宮博物院清
quality imperial ceramics. 宮舊藏一例明永樂甜白釉玉壺春瓶，其形制與釉質與本拍品相類，
見《明代洪武永樂御窯瓷器：景德鎮御窯遺址出土與故宮博物院傳
Compare a very similar sweet-white glazed vase, Yongle, from the 世瓷器對比》，北京，2015年，頁219-219，號102。江蘇省溧水縣
Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Imperial Porcelains from the 明代宋瑛五號墓曾出土一件永樂時期的白釉光素玉壺春瓶，著錄於
Reigns of Hongwu and Yongle in the Ming Dynasty: A Comparison of J.M.Addis，《Chinese ceramics from datable tombs and some other
Porcelains from the Imperial Kiln Site at Jingdezhen and the Imperial dated material》，紐約，1978年，頁94-95。
Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2015, pp.219-219, no.102;
see another white-glazed yuhuchunping, excavated from Tomb 5 of 另有暗花裝飾者，見玫茵堂舊藏一例明永樂甜白釉暗花玉壺春瓶，著
the Marquess of Xining (d.1407), illustrated by J.M.Addis, Chinese 錄於康蕊君，《玫茵堂中國陶瓷》，卷四，一，倫敦，2010年，頁
ceramics from datable tombs and some other dated material, New 67，圖1631，後由香港蘇富比售出，2011年4月7日，編號49；另見
York, 1978, pp.94-95. 香港佳士得曾售出一例，2013年11月27日，編號3211；另見倫敦蘇
富比曾售出一件明永樂甜白釉僧帽壺，表面亦為光素，2012年11月7
For related vases with incised anhua decoration, see R.Krahl, Chinese 日，編號318。
Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Vol.IV(I), London, 2010, p.67,
no.1631, later sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 April 2011, lot 49; and
another sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3211.
See also a related plain white-glazed ‘monk’s cap’ ewer, Yongle,
incised with Shah Jahan mark, sold at Sotheby’s London, 7 November
2012, lot 318.

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