北宋 定窰白磁刻蓮花紋盌

the gently curved lobes rising to a slightly indented and everted rim, the interior finely and freely carved and combed with a medallion of a leafy lotus spray, the sides cleanly divided by six narrow fillets of slip each enclosing a single spray of flowering lotus, covered overall with a clear ivory glaze pooling in characteristic tear-drops down the exterior, all raised on a narrow tapered foot, the rim metal mounted, Japanese wood box

The bowl has an old restored chip to the foot rim and a shallow 1/4 inch (.6cm) flake to the interior edge of the foot rim. There is a fine 2 inch long (5cm) glaze line on the interior, running horizontally low down on one panel. There are minor scattered burst air bubbles and kiln adhesions on the exterior.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

本盌端莊清麗，巧飾蓮紋，每朵蓮花枝葉翻捲姿態各異，尤為精雅，氣韻秀潤，實為定窰瓷匠臻技絕藝之典範代表。定瓷之中，如此裝飾僅只數例，如臺北故宮博物院藏略大盌例，型飾相近，載於《定州花瓷：院藏定窰系白瓷特展》展覽圖錄（臺北，2014年，編號II-39），同展另有刻花果紋近例，出處同上，編號II-40；臺北故宮博物院藏大批珍瓷殘件，包括一宋代盌例，殘片，以及河北曲陽縣澗磁村及燕山村出土定瓷破片，錄於《故宮博物院藏中國古代窰址標本》（卷2：河北卷，北京，2006年，圖版169（上））。

明清文士評鑑宋代五大名窰，定窰即為其一，胎體輕薄，胎料細膩白晳，故坯胎上無需施罩化妝土，亦能燒成淨白瓷胎，釉面瑩亮俊逸，色呈牙白，聚處若淚痕而色略深。定瓷以器形秀麗見稱，多取材自類近銀或漆器，深受宋金兩代宮廷貴胄、名寺廟宇青睞。

定瓷之另一特色，為以金屬包鑲口沿，如鑲銅扣、金銀等名貴材料，亮澤口沿與器面釉色對比分明，秀麗悅目，彰顯定窰特色，史稱「金裝定器」。據臺北故宮博物院蔡玫芬述，鑲口器流行於當朝，或源於其時裝飾器皿口沿之風尚。見蔡玫芬，〈 A Discussion of Ting Ware with Unglazed Rims and related Twentieth-Century Official Porcelain〉，《Arts of the Sung and Yuan》（紐約大都會博物館，1996年，頁109-31）。

比較另一盌例，刻牡丹紋飾，曾展於《定窯白磁》（根津美術館，東京，1983年，編號132）。還可參考一例，飾花卉紋飾，妍芳盛放，錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集 • 兩宋瓷器（上）》（香港，1996年，圖版45），同書並載一例，內璧劃刻三組蓮鴨紋飾，出處同上，圖版61。再見一水鳥蓮花紋盌例，出自Carl Kempe典藏，圖錄於《東洋陶磁大觀》（卷8，東京，1982年，圖版108），售於倫敦蘇富比2008年5月14日，編號258。