Page 24 - 2020 October 8 HK Fine Classical Paintings

This flask represents one of the archetypal wares created
本器屬明初景德鎮御窰經典造型之一，極受中外皇室
at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen during the early Ming 青睞。形制別於往昔中國瓷作，創思靈感源於波斯，
dynasty, a design that appears to have been equally popular 開闢蹊徑。其瓶腹渾圓，邊廓規整，橢圓淺足，為永
with the Chinese rulers as with foreign royalty. It belongs
to a group of vessels which derived their inspiration from 樂大扁瓶之典型特徵。相若作例，見於土耳其奧斯
Persian prototypes and represented a new stylistic avenue for 曼蘇丹珍藏，載於康蕊君，《Chinese Ceramics in the
Chinese porcelain. The angular bulb and short oval foot are Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul》，倫敦，1986年，卷2，
characteristic of Yongle flasks of this large size. Closely related 圖版616。另見上海博物館藏例，錄於《青花磁器展》
examples include one in the collection of the Ottoman sultans ，松屋銀座，東京，1988年，編號16。亦有一例，曾
in Turkey, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the 屬靜觀堂及黃鼎軒雅藏，錄於《好古敏求：敏求精舍
Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, London, 1986, vol. 2, pl. 616;
one from the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, included in the 三十五週年紀念展》，香港藝術館，香港，1995年，
exhibition Seika jiki ten, Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo, 1988, cat. no. 編號124，售於香港蘇富比1991年10月29日，編號29，
16; and another, from the Jingguantang and Huang Ding Xuan 後兩次售於香港佳士得1996年11月3日，編號545，以及
collections, included in the exhibition In Pursuit of Antiquities. 2006年11月28日，編號1512。相近扁瓶還有一例，售於
Thirty-Fifth Anniversary Exhibition of the Min Chiu Society, 巴黎蘇富比2009年12月18日，編號65。
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 124,
sold in these rooms, 29th October 1991, lot 29, and twice at
Christie’s Hong Kong, 3rd November 1996, lot 545, and again, 近似形制扁瓶，尺寸略小，但蒜頭口及瓶腹更大，一
28th November 2006, lot 1512. Another example was sold in 面紋飾同於本器，另一面裝飾相類交鎖花瓣及如意
our Paris rooms, 18th December 2009, lot 65. 紋，例如見上海世華藝術館藏例，刊於趙月汀編，《
The same design is also found adorning one side of flasks 皇帝的瓷器．景德鎮出土明三代官窰瓷器珍品薈萃》
of similar form, but of slightly smaller size and with larger ，上海，2010年，圖版23，同書收錄一件永樂早期白釉
rounded bulbs, the other side decorated with a related design 扁瓶，素紋，無圈足，見圖版19，以及一件宣德年款
of interlaced petals and ruyi motifs; for example see one
exhibited in the Shihua Art Museum, Shanghai, 2010, and 青花例，長方形圈足，見圖版68。明初扁瓶形制紋樣
published in Zhao Yueting, ed., Huangdi de ciqi. Jingdezhen 之微妙演變，觀諸作，可窺一斑。
chutu ‘Ming san dai’ guanyao ciqi zhenpin huicui [Porcelains of
the emperors. Compilation of imperial porcelain treasures of 本器造型紋飾應源於中近東陶器或金屬器原型，然迄
‘The Three Ming Reigns’ excavated at Jingdezhen], Shanghai, 今未現完全一致之範例。有關其來源之探究，可參考
2010, pl. 23, together with a plain white flask without a foot Margaret Medley，〈Islam and Chinese Porcelain in the
attributed to the early Yongle period, pl. 19, and a blue-and-
white Xuande-marked example with a rectangular foot, pl. 68. 14th and Early 15th Centuries〉，《香港東方陶瓷學會
The subtle evolution of the form and design over the decades 會刊》，第6期，1982-4年，其中列舉一件英國大維德
can be traced in these flasks. 基金會藏宣德款扁瓶，見圖11。John Alexander Pope 在
The design and shape of this flask appear to have derived 〈An Early Ming Porcelain in Muslim Style〉文中，刊錄另
from Near or Middle Eastern pottery or metal prototypes, 一件青花扁瓶例，《Aus der Welt der Islamischen Kunst.
although no exact counterpart has yet been found. Its possible Festschrift für Ernst Kuhnel》，柏林，1959年，圖版3B，
origin is discussed in Margaret Medley, ‘Islam and Chinese 並載一件嵌飾銅壺，作相若綬帶狀雙耳及蒜頭口，見
Porcelain in the 14th and Early 15th Centuries’, Bulletin of the
Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong, no. 6, 1982-4, where 圖版1B，後者為尤莫弗普勒斯典藏，售於倫敦蘇富比
a Xuande-marked flask in the Sir David Percival collection is 1940年6月5日，編號72，現藏華盛頓弗利爾美術館。
illustrated, fig. 11; and in John Alexander Pope, ‘An Early Ming
Porcelain in Muslim Style’, Aus der Welt der Islamischen Kunst. 瓶腹兩面所繪輪花紋，採幾何構圖，其形式化及抽象
Festschrift für Ernst Kuhnel, Berlin, 1959, where another blue- 性於中國之圖像意義中較為罕見，瓶腹沿廓所見三角
and-white flask is published, pl. 3B, together with a large inlaid 形及幾何圖案邊飾，皆富中東色彩。然瓶頸纏枝花卉
brass canteen with similar strap handles and ‘garlic’ mouth,
pl. 1B, the latter from the Eumorfopoulos Collection, sold in 及雙耳根部折枝花紋，則突顯傳統中國樣式風範。儘
our London rooms, 5th June 1940, lot 72, and now in the Freer 管翠菊與康乃馨圖案相配實屬罕見，但雅緻新奇的花
Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. 卉元素更巧妙地為原本拘謹的圖案增添幾分柔美。此
The star-shaped rosettes adorning either side of the flask are 扁瓶器形，流行於永宣時期，為二朝獨有。
composed in a highly stylised and geometric manner. Both
its formality and abstraction are unusual in a Chinese context
and, together with the enclosing chevron and geometric
border, are probably also the result of Middle Eastern
inspiration. However, the traditional Chinese design repertoire
is represented through the flower-scroll band at the neck and
the small floral sprigs at the handles, although the combination
of asters and carnations is rare. The delicacy of the floral
elements also serves to soften the rigidity of the overall design.
Flasks of this model were popular during and peculiar to the
Yongle and Xuande periods.
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