Page 24 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Fine Buddhist Works of Art

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A RARE GILT-BRONZE TRIPOD OFFERING 明永樂 鎏金銅魚龍形三足供座
STAND 「大明永樂年施」楷書刻款

YONGLE INCISED SIX-CHARACTER PRESENTATION 來源
MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1403-1424) 平野古陶軒，東京，約1980年代入藏
日本私人珍藏，1980年代購於平野古陶軒
The elegant legs of the stand are formed as three, evenly spaced,
makara dragons. Each vertical-form dragon is raised from an 此座鑄工精巧，每足作摩羯魚狀，口啣寶珠，魚身及尾飾流雲紋，
elaborately scrolled tail that transforms into an arched neck before 圈托內壁陰刻「大明永樂年施」橫款，為明代宮廷作品。應用以承
emerging into upright head. Its partially open mouth exposes its 托法器如海螺或缽等，作佛前供奉。
teeth and grasping one of the circular beads that form the circular
ring platform. The interior of the ring is inscribed with the 有一件造型一樣但略小的例子(13.5公分)，同樣刻永樂年款，著錄於
Yongle presentation mark. 《Chinese Imperial Patronage, Treasures from Temples and Palaces》，
5 √ in. (15 cm.) high 卷二，Christopher Bruckner, Asian Art Gallery，倫敦，圖版4號。同
書內載有另一件掐絲琺瑯座，紋飾設計與本器一樣，缺款，定年明
HK$450,000-600,000 US$59,000-78,000 初，見同上，圖版5號。亦可參考國立故宮博物院藏一對明代銅鍍
金燭台，其龍形足的造型與本器上的魚龍形足略為相似，見1995年
PROVENANCE 台北出版《金銅佛教供具特展》，頁96，圖版16-2-3號。

Hirano Kotogen, Tokyo, circa 1980s
A Japanese private collection, acquired from the above in the 1980s

In Buddhist practices, the present stand is probably used for
the support of a conch shell, an offering bowl or a kapala, and
placed on altar tables. A slightly smaller stand (13.5 cm. high)
is illustrated in Chinese Imperial Patronage, Treasures from Temples
and Palaces, vol. II, Christopher Bruckner, Asian Art Gallery,
London, no. 4; where it is illustrated with a similarly sized
cloisonné enamel example dating to circa 1400, no. 5. Compare
also related upright dragon supports forming the base of a pair of
Ming dynasty candlesticks as part of a garniture set, included in
the exhibition, A Special Exhibition of Buddhist Gilt Votive Objects,
National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1995, and illustrated in the
Catalogue, p. 96, pl. 16-2-3.

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