Page 14 - Bonhams Hong K June 2016

Bowls of this type, often described as 'dice bowls', are 此缽胎厚體重，造型敦實飽滿，圓潤適度，敞口，弧腹深壁，平底。
characteristically thickly and deeply potted, with the name denoting 飾青花紋飾，外口沿繪翻騰海水，腹飾雲龍紋，近底處飾蓮瓣紋。碗
their possible use in the dice-throwing game. Dice bowls may be a 心青花雙圈內書「大明宣德年製」楷書款。青花發色濃淡分明且有鐵
Xuande period innovation, as previous examples have not been found. 鏽斑，富層次感和立體感。整體構圖有度，雲龍飛動，氣概非凡，反
映出宣德官窯製品豪放生動的特徵。
Although the reign of the Xuande emperor lasted for only ten years
(1426-35), its contribution to the development of porcelain production 此類缽形器最早出現於新石器時代，後佛教傳入中國後為僧人所用之
and output cannot be understated. The Xuande emperor was close in 食器。到明宣德年間，缽形碗據傳為宮廷後宮賭博擲骰時用的骰盔
artistic sensibility to his grandfather, the Yongle emperor, under whose 子，品種有白釉、灑藍釉及青花器。此厚重胎體亦非常適用於擲骰
reign Imperial porcelain production at Jingdezhen developed rapidly 子。
and encouraged a spirit of creativity along with rigorous standards
at the kilns. The custom of denoting the Imperial reign on vessels 宣德一朝僅持續了短短十年，卻在陶瓷發展史上中佔有十分重要的地
produced in the Imperial kiln began in the Yongle period but more often 位，其青花器更備受國內外人士的欣賞和重視。宣德帝從小受其祖
as incised four-character marks; the custom continued in earnest from 父永樂寵愛，所習染的興趣亦大同小異，同樣雅愛藝術，其審美標準
the Xuande period and throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. 也因而有着密切關係。因此，宣德帝致力發展社會經濟的同時，也提
倡藝術發展，景德鎮製瓷業在前朝的基礎上迅速擴展，生產了舉世聞
Compare a similar dice bowl excavated at the Zhushan Imperial kilns 名、冠絕一代的宣德青花，本器即為一例。明清兩代，在瓷器上署帝
in 1983, illustrated in Yuan's and Ming's Imperial Porcelains Unearthed 王年號款的做法，始於永樂年間，均為四字篆書，宣德皇帝繼承了前
from Jingdezhen, Beijing, 1999, pl.126. Other examples can be found 朝風格，帝王年號款逐漸普遍，款識的形式和內容也變得豐富。
in important museum collections: see two examples of dice bowls,
of similar shape and dragon decoration, illustrated in A Panorama of 景德鎮珠山明代宣德官窯遺址在1983年曾出土同類的殘件可供參考，
Ceramics in the Collection of the National Palace Museum: Hsüan-te 見炎黃藝術館編《景德鎮出土元明官窯瓷器》，北京，1999年，圖版
Ware I, Taipei, 2000, pls.34 and 35; another example is illustrated in 126。台北國立故宮博物院亦藏兩件青花雲龍紋缽可資對比，見
The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and 《故宮藏瓷大系宣德之部（上）》，台北，2000年，圖版34及35；
White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, pl.124; 再參見北京故宮博物院藏一例，著於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：
see also one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated 青花釉裏紅（上）》，香港，2000年，圖版124。倫敦維多利亞及
by J.Ayers, Far Eastern Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, 阿伯特博物館亦藏一例，見J.Ayers，《Far Eastern Ceramics in the
London, 1980, pl.148; and in the Sir Percival David Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum》，倫敦，1980年，圖版148；再參考
British Museum, London; and in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington 美國弗瑞爾藝廊藏二例，分別著於《Oriental Ceramics: The World's
D.C., published in Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections, Great Collections》，第六冊，東京，1982年，圖版97；及第九冊，
vol.6, Tokyo, 1982, pl.97, and vol.9, Tokyo, 1981, pl.104, respectively. 東京，1981年，圖版104。香港蘇富比亦曾售出一相近例子，2006年
4月10日，編號1659。
A similar blue and white 'dragon' dice bowl, Xuande mark and period,
was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 10 April 2006, lot 1659.

Image courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing
北京故宮博物院藏

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