Page 48 - Fine Chinese Works of Art Bonhams Hong Kong May 2018

This remarkable cloisonné enamel moonflask is particularly rare for its 壺洗口，直頸，扁腹，肩部兩側飾銅鎏金雙鳳耳，橢圓形足。整器以
superbly and richly decorated design of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, 天藍色琺瑯釉作地，再填以紅、粉、黃、奶白、寶藍、蘋果綠、青綠
bajixiang, which although seen on other cloisonné enamel vessels is 等琺瑯釉填飾纏枝牡丹紋，腹部一面四朵牡丹分別托輪、螺、傘、
much rarer on the bianhu form. Compare, however, a related cloisonné 蓋，另一面則分別托蓮花、罐、魚、盤長，共八寶，俗稱「八吉祥」。
enamel moonflask, Qianlong period with apocryphal Jingtai mark,
from the Sir J.Buchanan-Jardine and Avery Brundage Collections, in 銅胎掐絲琺瑯器中，以纏枝牡丹托八吉祥裝飾者非常罕見，目前僅
the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated by B.Quette, ed., 此一例。三藩市亞洲藝術博物館藏一件清乾隆景泰款銅胎掐絲琺瑯
Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, 扁壺，其形制和尺寸與此扁壺類似，見B.Quette編，《Cloisonné:
New York, 2011, p.270, no.91. See also the similar gilt-bronze phoenix Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties》，紐
handles on a related cloisonné enamel moonflask, Qianlong, but larger 約，2011年，頁270，圖91。另見倫敦佳士得曾售出一件清乾隆掐絲
and decorated with flowers, which was sold at Christie’s London, 20 琺瑯纏枝花卉紋扁壺，亦飾有類似的雙鳳耳，2008年11月20日，拍
November 2008, lot 507. 品507。

The form and design of the present moonflask are similar to 此類扁壺又稱「抱月瓶」，其形制受明代早期御器廠燒製抱月瓶影
contemporaneous porcelain moonflasks made for the Imperial Court; 響，起源於伊斯蘭文化金屬器。清宮御製瓷器亦常採用此形制，如北
see from the Qing Court Collection, a yellow enamelled blue and white 京故宮博物院藏一件清乾隆黃地青花扁壺，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍
moonflask, Qianlong seal mark and period, illustrated in The Complete 品全集：青花釉裏紅（下）》，香港，2010年，圖235。同樣以八吉
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White 祥裝飾的青花扁壺，見台北國立故宮博物院藏清乾隆一例，著錄於《
Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, no.235; and 清代青花瓷器》，卷二，香港，1968年，頁50-51，圖15及15a-c。八
examples in blue and white painted with the bajixiang, Qianlong seal 吉祥為佛教之八寶，是佛前供器，而乾隆帝篤信佛教，大肆在宮中舉
marks and period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated 辦禮佛等宗教活動，此纏枝牡丹托八吉祥扁壺是佛教對宮廷藝術影響
in Blue-and-White Ware of the Ch’ing Dynasty, vol.II, Hong Kong, 的又一例證。
1968, pp.50-51, pls.15 and 15a-c. The influence of porcelain is also
demonstrated in the Buddhist vase emblem, superbly rendered in blue
and white enamels.

The Eight Buddhist Emblems are believed to bring peace and
blessings which became codified in the order listed during the
Qianlong period, hence the present lot is likely to have been specially
commissioned for Buddhist rituals in the Qing Court or as a gift to a
Buddhist temple favoured by the emperor.

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