Page 22 - Christie's Important Chinese Works of Art, May 31 to June 1, 2023 Hong Kong

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A VERY RARE INSCRIBED DING DRUM- 北宋 定窯鼓形蓋盒 「苑」字楷書刻款
SHAPED BOX AND COVER
來源:
NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY (960-1127) 日本私人舊藏，建立於1940年代（傳）
The box is realistically shaped as a drum with a horizontal band with 1994年購於日本
raised bosses above the foot simulating metal studs, the cover with a
flat top similarly moulded with bosses around the rim. The box and 本盒底部陰刻「苑」一字，有可能是宋代少府監「後苑」的簡稱。據《宋史》
cover are covered inside and out with a clear lustrous glaze of pale 〈職官五〉記載：「少府監舊制，判監事一人。以朝官充。凡進御器玩、后妃服
ivory-white tone, the rims unglazed revealing the fine, white body. 飾、雕文錯彩工巧之事，分隸文思院、後苑造作所。」可見後苑乃宋代掌管
The glazed base is incised with the character ‘Yuan’ (garden). 宮廷生活所需的內廷官署，並負責「御器玩」等御用器物之應用。本瓶刻有
3¬ in. (9.3 cm.) high, Japanese wood box 「苑」款，很可能為宋代宮廷器物。
HK$1,000,000-1,500,000 US$130,000-190,000 後苑官署至南宋時期依然存在，掌管皇家器物珍玩；所以亦不能排除本盒為
南宋時期宮廷用品。2009 年，原杭州東南化工廠廠址出土了大量南宋瓷片
P R O V E NAN C E :
A Japanese private collection formed in the 1940s, by repute 標本，經考證，該地點為南宋臨安城都亭驛位置所在，當中發掘刻有「苑」及
Acquired in Japan in 1994 「後苑」款的越窯瓷片，可見苑銘瓷器確實曾為南宋政府機構使用（可參考
鄧禾穎：〈南宋早期宮廷用瓷及相關問題探析 ——從原杭州東南化工廠出
The character incised on the base of the current box, Yuan (literal meaning 土瓷器談起〉，載於《東方博物》2012年01期）。
‘garden’), could possibly be the abbreviation for Houyuan, the name
of a palace institute under the imperial household department, which
according to Song Shi (The History of Song), was in charge of palace 另亦見刻「華苑」銘之定窯器：英國大維德基金會藏一件定窯盌和一件定窯
maintenance as well as utensils used by imperial family members during 盤，均底刻「華苑」款（館藏編號PDF.177、PDF.184）。北京故宮博物院亦
the Northern Song dynasty. 藏數件刻有宋代宮殿款的定窯器，款識包括「奉華」、「慈福」、「聚秀」、
「禁宛」（宛可能為苑之誤），可參考馮先銘先生發表之銘文拓本。這些器
The Houyuan institute continued its existence during the Southern Song 物，包括本盒在內，均與宋代宮廷官署關係密不可分。
dynasty, after the Jurchens took over the northern part of China in the
12th century. In 2009, numerous Song-dynasty shards were found in
a chemical plant in Hangzhou, which sits on a site where government 本盒造型獨特，胎細釉白，具北宋中期時代特徵，未見其他同類例子，暫亦
officials hosted foreign diplomats within the capital during the Southern 未見其他刻「苑」款的定窯器物，彌足珍貴，對宋代宮廷用器之研究提供重
Song dynasty. Yue shards incised with the characters Yuan and Houyuan 要學術及歷史價值。
were found, suggesting that ceramic pieces with Yuan and Houyuan
inscriptions were also used by Southern Song government agencies.
There are also examples of Ding vessels incised with inscription reading
Huayuan (also meaning ‘garden’), such as a bowl and a dish from the
Percival David Foundation Collection, now housed at the British Museum
(accession no. PDF.177 and PDF.184). The Palace Museum also has a
number of Ding wares incised with various palace names, including
Jin Yuan, illustrated by Feng Xianming in ‘Ciqi qianshuo’, Wenwu, 1959,
issue 7. These vessels, including our current box, are undoubtedly related
to the Song dynasty imperial household department or government
bureaucracies.
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