A VERY RARE MING POLYCHROME-ENAMELLED SQUARE 'DRAGON' BOWL
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HK$1,500,000 - HK$2,000,000
• ($194,135 - $258,847)

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Sale 2811
The Imperial Sale Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
31 May 2010
Hong Kong Buy Catalog

A VERY RARE MING POLYCHROME-ENAMELLED SQUARE 'DRAGON' BOWL
JIAJING SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1522-1566)

With deep, slightly rounded flared sides, each facet enamelled in a brownish aubergine tone with a lively five-clawed dragon detailed in black and with green tufts of hair racing amidst sprigs of yellow lingzhi fungus outlined in iron-red above a band of aubergine ruyi heads, the centre of the interior with a similar square dragon medallion below lingzhi scrolls at the rim, all within double-blue line borders
5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm.) square

明嘉靖 素三彩雲龍紋方斗盃 雙行六字楷書款

盃呈方斗形，撇口，斂腹，方圈足。盃四壁飾五爪騰龍游弋於如意雲中，近足處環繪如意雲頭一組十二個。盃心底青花雙方框內飾團龍紋，口沿內雙青花線內繪纏枝靈芝四組共十二個。底青花書「大明嘉靖年製 」雙行六字楷書款。

方斗盃流行於明代嘉靖時期的一種盃式，因形似方斗而得名。此類造型的瓷器，製作工藝較圓器複雜，不能直接拉坯而成，而需要將坯泥製成片狀粘接而成，一般都有變形。明王世懋著《窺天外乘》記：「蓋窰器圓者，碹之立就，倏忽若神。獨方物即至小，亦須手捻而成，最難完整，供御大率十不能一二，余皆置之無用。」

觀此器造形規整，構圖飽滿，為嘉靖朝瓷器中之上乘之作。上海博物館藏一件相同的素三彩雲龍紋方斗盃，見陸明華著上海博物館藏品研究大系《明代官窰瓷器》220頁，圖版4-16。
此器分別為美國聖路易斯大威斯、 聖路易藝術博物館收藏，2005年3月30日於紐約佳士得拍賣， 拍品343號。

I confirm that I have read this Important Notice and agree to its terms.

THE PROPERTY OF AN IMPORTANT AMERICAN PRIVATE COLLECTOR

Samuel C. Davis Collection, St. Louis, Missouri
Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri
Christie's New York, 30 March 2005, lot 343

QUEST FOR IMITATION AND INNOVATION OF THE EARLY QING
ROSEMARY SCOTT - INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC DIRECTOR, ASIAN ART

Several bowls of this shape and size and with the same unusual combination of enamel colours and similar decoration have been published. Four are in public collections: one, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p. 265, no. 9:114; the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated by W.B. Honey, The Ceramic Art of China and Other Countries of the Far East, London, 1945, pl. 113(a); the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Xia and Feng, Zhongguo meishu quanji; gongyi meishu bian - 3 - taoci xia, Shanghai, 1991, no. 120; and the Itsuo Art Museum, illustrated by Yajima, Overglaze Enamel Ware in the Ming Dynasty, Japan, 1996, no. 32.

Other examples in private collections include one in the collection of C.P. Lin, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 10 June - 10 September 1992, no. 81; one included in the Exhibition of Chinese Art, Venice, 1954, p. 192, no. 711 and later published by J. Ayers, Chinese Ceramics: The Koger Collection, London, 1985, no. 84; and one illustrated by J. Wirgin, Chinese Ceramics from the Axel and Nora Lundgren Collection, 1989, no. 59. Another is illustrated in Chinese Porcelain: The S.C. Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong, 1987, Part I, p. 118, no. 70, where it is noted that square bowls of this type were popular during the Jiajing period and were decorated with other designs and colour schemes, but their popularity declined after the Wanli period.

• Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art

• 16th Century
• dragon
• All other categories of objects
• bowls
• porcelain
• China
• Ming dynasty (1368-1644)

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