清乾隆 青花八吉祥紋雙耳扁壺一對 《大清乾隆年製》款

each of flattened form with gently domed sides rising from a spreading foot to a ribbed cylindrical neck, set with a pair of scroll handles, brilliantly painted in vivid tones of cobalt-blue with the ‘heaped and piled’ effect, the domed sides decorated with eight radiating lappet panels each enclosing the beribboned bajixiang around a raised central boss with a double vajra, all encircled by a keyfret band, the foot and neck with lingzhi scrolls and the narrow sides with meandering lotus, all below a keyfret border at the rim, the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark

Both moonflasks lean slightly forward. One has a 3.5cm diagonal scratch to one face at 2 o'clock and further scratches to 3.30 and 4 o'clock to the same side. There is some slight scratches to the raised central boss are to the other side. The other has two small frits (approx. 0.2 x 0.1cm) to the curved edge of the moonflask near the shoulder, one to the front and the other to the back face. There is a 7cm horizontal glaze crack to the base of one side where it meets the foot, and 5cm to the other side. There are also some scratches to the glaze to the central boss of one side.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

此對青花扁壺屬乾隆年器並款，中央飾十字杵，外環飾八片蓮瓣，瓣中飾八吉祥紋。紋飾與三藩市亞洲美術館Avery Brundage收藏的十五世紀初青花盆內壁之紋飾非常相似。該盆曾錄於《Blue and White》展覽圖錄，芝加哥大學，芝加哥，1985年，編號28。 John Carswell於書中提及十四世紀瓷器紋飾當中，可見不定數目的放射式蓮瓣中繪有瑞祥物件。明初八吉祥紋飾次序，以魚紋隨蕃蓮、盤長隨寶瓶居多，參考趙 從衍收藏一蓋盌作例，售於香港蘇富比1987年5月19日，編號231。此對青花扁壺之魚紋及寶瓶次序相反，可見清代瓷匠在沿用前人設計之餘亦享有彈性創 作空間。本品器形設計上亦以明為雛本，一面微鼓，另一面平滑且不施釉，美國華盛頓弗利爾美術館藏一相類作例，曾售於倫敦蘇富比1957年10月29日，編 號166，載於《Oriental Ceramics. The World's Great Collections》，冊9，東京，1981年，圖版94。十五世紀的青花扁壺器形則上溯早期十三世紀美索不達米亞銅器，參考 Eumorfopoulos 收藏一作例，售於倫敦蘇富比1940年6月5日，編號72，現寶蓄弗利爾美術館。早期金屬扁壺亦於乾隆時期復製成銀器，參考倫敦蘇富比1996年6月11 日，編號139。

可相比較之作例見於各博物館及私人收藏。其一錄於《故宮青瓷圖錄》，冊2，東京，1981年，編號5。另 外兩件作例刊於《中國陶磁：出光美術館蔵品図錄》，東京，1987年，圖版949及950，後者並無署款。南京博物院藏一作例曾錄於《中國歷代景德鎮瓷 器》，北京，1998年，頁169。仇炎之收藏另有一例售於香港蘇富比1981年5月19日，編號544。一作例出自CG Sloan and Greenwald 收藏，售於香港佳士得2010年12月1日，編號2826。另有一例曾三度出現於拍賣場，最後一次售於香港蘇富比2011年4月8日，編號3123。