Page 57 - Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Chinese Works of Art, Oct. 9, 2022

The Yongle period (1403-24) is noted for the significant ad- 永樂一朝，朝廷管理監燒御瓷，力求陶藝埏埴之臻
vancements and innovations introduced to China’s porcelain 善臻美，促使中國瓷業發展興盛，創新紛呈，無論
production, as the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen came under 器形、風格、釉色、紋飾皆新品層出，大放異彩，
direct supervision from the court. This period is marked by
a profusion of new shapes, styles and designs, a sea change 技術巧思，一日千里，幾近極限，以致後世數百年
so fundamental, that thereafter no real innovation took 間未見重要創新。此雙繫小蓋罐，造型典麗，紋飾
place for centuries. The present jarlet serves as an example 細緻，展現大明永樂朝青花瓷之美善至臻。馮先銘
of a new shape that emerged during this prolific period; the 於〈Yongle and Xuande Blue-and-White Porcelain in
addition of two or three small loop handles to the body or the Palace Museum〉一文指出，於器身或器肩加上雙
shoulder of vessels is a new and distinctive feature (Feng
Xianming, ‘Yongle and Xuande Blue-and-white Porcelain in 繫或三繫，為永樂時期創新的器形，詳見《Chinese
the Palace Museum’, Chinese Ceramics: Selected Articles Ceramics: Selected Articles from Orientations 1982-2003》
from Orientations 1982-1998, Hong Kong, 1999, pp. 172-86). ，香港，1999年，頁172-86。
Although the precise function of the loop handles is as yet
unclear, it was proposed that they were possibly used for 本品妙繪五組折枝花卉，包括菊花、山茶花、牡丹、
securing the cover.
梔子花及玫瑰，尺寸小巧，置於掌心，安適稱意。此
Perfectly formed in its charming shape and softly painted 類雙繫小蓋罐見折枝花卉紋或纏枝蓮紋作例，折枝花
with floral scrolls, this jarlet exemplifies the style and taste of 卉紋例較為罕見，如本品帶蓋者，更為珍罕。折枝花
early Ming imperial porcelain. The jarlet is painted in vibrant
blue colours with the characteristic ‘heaped and piled’ effect, 卉紋例，可參考北京故宮博物院一帶蓋類例，載於馮
depicting five sprays of flowers - chrysanthemum, camellia, 先銘，頁179，圖15。另外兩例，蓋佚失，其一為上
peony, gardenia and rose - between bands of overlapping 海博物館館藏，載於汪慶正，《青花釉裏紅》，香
lappets. Blue-and-white jarlets of this particular form, always 港，1987年，頁64，圖版50；另一為克拉克夫人及趙
featuring a floral motif, vary in few but distinct ways: they 從衍遞藏，售於香港蘇富比1986年11月18日，編號32
were either painted with five detached floral sprays or with
a continuous lotus scroll. The former design, as seen on the 。纏枝蓮紋例，可參考兩帶蓋例，其一貯於北京故宮
present jarlet, is comparatively rarer and even more so as 博物院，載於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．青花釉
it is preserved with its cover. See a covered example, with 裏紅（上）》，上海，2000年，圖版44；另一為克拉
similar decoration but a different border encircling the cover, 克夫人舊藏，售於香港蘇富比2001年10月29日，編號
preserved in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrates in ibid., 526。尚有一永樂白釉暗刻花卉紋例可資參考，載於
p. 179, fig. 15; and two similar examples without a cover: one
preserved in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Wang Qing- René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé，《Treasures from the
zheng, Underglaze Blue and Red, Hong Kong, 1987, p. 64, pl. Shanghai Museum, 6,000 Years of Chinese Art》，三藩
50; the other from the collections of Mrs Alfred Clark and T.Y. 市，1983年，圖版107。
Chao was sold in these rooms, 18th November 1986, lot 32.
For related jarlets with a continuous lotus scroll design, see
two covered examples, one preserved in the Beijing Palace
Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures
of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Under-
glazed Red (I), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 44; and another from the
collection of Mr and Mrs Alfred Clark, sold in these rooms,
29th October 2001, lot 526. See also a related Yongle white-
glazed jarlet incised with floral sprays, illustrate in René-Yvon
Lefebvre d’Argencé, Treasures from the Shanghai Museum,
6,000 Years of Chinese Art, San Francisco, 1983, pl. 107.

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