Page 117 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong Sotheby's April 2017

Contrasting colours and motifs with imperial and auspicious 此蓋盒色彩對比鮮明，紋樣繪製滿含皇家禎祥寓意，乃嘉
connotations are two of the most characteristic features of 靖朝瓷器兩大特徵。本品頂蓋及四壁列飾御用五爪祥龍，
Jiajing imperial porcelains. The juxtaposition of the imperial 輔以靈芝，取代慣用纏枝蓮紋，以示嘉靖帝延壽之願，
five-clawed dragons with sprays of lingzhi fungus on the 且篤信道家不朽之說。黃色乃帝王之色，色調採選亦呼應
present box, instead of the usual lotus scrolls, reflects the 主題。
Jiajing Emperor’s fervent pursuit of longevity and attachment
to Daoist practices promising the attainment of immortality. 嘉靖帝鐘愛彩色繽紛、吉祥圖紋器物，其尊崇道教，深信
The theme is carried through even in the colour scheme, with 五彩可以辟邪。據載，其大事興建，修設齋醮，迷信方
yellow being the colour associated with the emperor. 術，所用黃金、珍珠及龍涎香料靡費，極盡奢華。嘉靖一
朝御廠工匠雖未曾於研發新色、裝飾工藝方面出新，然卻
Richly coloured porcelain brimming with emblematic designs 擅舊法新用，遂亦使風格、配色得以延展。此盒所見鈷青
also fitted with the Jiajing Emperor’s love of opulence, which 色底，源於明初，然其時鮮見搭配釉上黃紅彩，直至嘉
is documented through lavish commissions of buildings and 靖。本品配色新穎，三色燒成所需溫度不一，難能可貴。
ceremonies of Daoist worship where pearls, ambergris and
gold are said to have been used in profusion. Although the 此類樣式雲龍紋蓋盒甚為珍罕。已知僅見四類例：東
potters in the Jiajing reign did not develop completely new 京國立博物館藏一例，載於《東洋陶瓷大觀》，卷1，
colours or decorative techniques, they were very inventive in 東京，1982年，圖版123；第二例，現存倫敦維多利亞
using traditional techniques in new ways, thus expanding the 與艾伯特博物館，乃 Bloxam 舊藏，展錄於《Ceramic
range of styles and colour schemes. The use of cobalt blue Evolution in the Middle Ming Period》，大維德基金會，
to create a striking colour ground on this box is known from 倫敦，1994年，編號28；第三例，瑞典斯德哥爾摩遠東古
the early Ming dynasty, although it was seldom used with 物博物館藏，載於《東洋陶瓷大觀》，前述出處，卷8，
overglaze yellow and iron red prior to the Jiajing reign. This 東京，1982年，圖版239。還有一例，為 A de. Medeiros
particular colour composition is unusual, as the three colours e Almeida 所藏，刊於 Cécile 及 Michel Beurdeley，
would have been applied and fired at different times and 《La Céramique Chinoise》，弗里堡，1974年，圖版
different temperatures. 77。

Boxes of this form and design are extremely rare. Only four
closely related examples are known: the first in the Tokyo
National Museum, Tokyo, is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics.
The World’s Great Collections, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 123; the
second, from the Bloxam Collection in the Victoria and Albert
Museum, London, was included in the exhibition Ceramic
Evolution in the Middle Ming Period, Percival David Foundation
of Chinese Art, London, 1994, cat. no. 28; the third, in the
Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, is published
in Oriental Ceramics, op. cit., vol. 8, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 239; and
the fourth, from the collection of A. de Madeiros e Almeida,
is illustrated in Cécile and Michel Beurdeley, La Céramique
Chinoise, Fribourg, 1974, pl. 77.

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