Page 61 - Nov. 2019 Christie's Hong Kong Important Chinese Ceramics

2921 Continued

This particular ewer form is a Lamaist Buddhist ritual vessel, which ೭㨫㯝卿᫁⭬卿஄㑷ǯӬڬᝳ᱁卿१㻏૤ₕ卿᱁⯝㯝㛑᱁ᦷ⏟㘻ǯऔӬ
derived its name, sengmaohu, monk's cap ewer, from the shape of its ڬ㱈༶჌ᆨᝢ᠀卿ӳ㱈ൈዪ㫡㯔ǯ㘻㵲㞏Ӵ㢣ᑕ⦞៨⸥⡠卿⭬㛑㱈⸥Ꮴ
upper section, resembling a Tibetan monk's hat. The Tibetan shape has ݨम▼卿Ӵᐂ⸥≓Ӭॶǯ㞏ⰰᷛ⎊⇰ᷪ卿⡿⤤ൈℱ卿⫭கవ⡿᲼⎊ǯ
its origins in the Yuan dynasty. Ewers of this form were made for the
visit of the fifth Tibetan hierarch, Halima, to Nanjing in 1407, where he ۿ჏೭୬೭ऑᆨַۿؗ჏⩧ᇑल卿ἃ⻦ᚉדᘰ⊇଍卿ං῟ᙻ݉ջǯᚺ᭦
was invited by the Yongle Emperor to officiate at religious services.
ᦼǮ໿ᇪჺ㧿୬ᶴǮ⻦ᙔࢇՒ᱁㯟༗卿ᜀᇪ㤯ᇙ଍ᅐᝪഌ㞔῟ㅳۿ჏೭ǯ
Among these and the gifts presented to high Tibetan Lamas would ᭦ᦼჺ㧿卿ᇙ଍ᅐᓚ⊇⋁஠⎏ܵ㐏ࣥᙠㅳה≢଍卿Ԇங῟ㅳ⎊≢႙⻱ӳ
have been 'sweet white' monk's cap ewers similar to the current इᇑ㞒ഌ⎏⚇ⓓ卿῟ㅳ߅㞏ⰰ⇰ᷪǮ⎊⒬⠵ַ⎏≿⎊㞏卿㞏ⰰ㍞ἃǸ⎊
example. A number are still preserved in Tibet, and an example from
the Tibet Museum was exhibited at the Shanghai Museum in 2001. ൈ޵⬖卿⡵⃫♥㫝ǹǯ
See Treasures from Snow Mountains - Gems of Tibetan Cultural ᭦ᦼۿ჏೭Ӭ⯺ᝳݏ⡵Ǯᜡߴ⸥⡠Ǯ⣌ᙔǮݨम▼⡠✙ᙇ♎ǯजࣻ⩠ᙇ
Relics, Shanghai Museum, 2001, p. 177, no. 88. A similar ewer from
the collection of Palace Museum, Beijing is illustrated in Monochrome ։≿⎊㞏ݨम▼⡠ۿ჏೭卿ࡺᑐӬ։㖊ᙻ +FOZOT ⶬǶ.JOH 1PUUFSZ BOE
Porcelain, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, 1PSDFMBJOǷ卿ٳᘹ卿 ჺ卿எ B厎Ӭ։ⶬ㢙ᙻᘨ᭯⠢⯣Ӳࢦ㙉ჺஎ
Hong Kong, 1999, p.109, pl. 100. 㢙Ƕ᫓ջᙔ⁒ⵧⅧǷ卿㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿எ ⽚厎Ӭ։ ჺ ᝲ
Yongle tianbai or 'sweet white' glazed monk’s cap ewers are either ᚚᙻ㲞ᳰצ೥ᇑᐽ㐈卿ᐽ৅ ⽚ǯ
undecorated or incised with foliate scroll, text from a sutra, or the
bajixiang, as in the present example, on the widest body.
Similar ewers, with and without incised decoration have been
excavated at the Ming imperial kiln sites, such as the example included
in the exhibition, Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods,
excavated from the site of the Ming Imperial factory at Jingdezhen,
Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1989, illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 8.
Compare to other published examples incised with the bajixiang
decoration, including one illustrated by Jenyns, Ming Pottery and
Porcelain, London, 1988, pl. 26a; one exhibited in Selected Treasures of
Chinese Art, Min Chiu Society, 30th Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong,
1990, Catalogue, no. 150; and one sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 25
October 1993, lot 731.

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