An exceptional Junyao purple and blue-glazed tripod narcissus bowl, Early Ming dynasty | 明初 鈞窰葡萄紫釉鼓釘三足水仙盆 底刻「五」字

The Canton Collection, Hong Kong.

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 17th November 1975, lot 4.

Sotheby's London, 10th December 1991, lot 136.

Yin Chuan Tang Ltd, Hong Kong, 10th November 1994.

小聽颿樓收藏，香港

香港蘇富比1975年11月17日，編號4

倫敦蘇富比1991年12月10日，編號136

穎川堂，香港，1994年11月10日

In Pursuit of Antiquities: 35th Anniversary Exhibition of the Min Chiu Society, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 97.

《好古敏求：敏求精舍三十五週年紀念展》，香港，1995年，編號97

Narcissus bowls, also known as ‘drum nail’ basins, belong to a distinct group of flower receptacles known as ‘numbered Jun’ wares; mostly made in moulds and generally inscribed on the base with numerals from one to ten that seem to inversely correspond to the size of the vessels, ‘numbered Jun’ wares with the numeral one are considered the largest. Besides the variation in sizes, these striking vessels were also produced in a variety of glaze colours and patterns. They are much admired over the centuries by the imperial court and connoisseurs for their beautiful array of colours and intensity of the glaze, which varies from an opalescent sky-blue tone to brilliant hues of mauve and lavender.

The present narcissus bowl encapsulates the essence of Jun ware which derives its beauty and minimalist aesthetics from its simple yet robust form and, notably, from its inimitable glaze - a thick, luminous glaze of an alluring purple-and-blue colouration that becomes almost transparent around the edges of the vessel where the glaze thins significantly. The result of the pattern, tonal variations and intensity of the glaze depends entirely on firing variations, making each narcissus bowl a unique work of art steeped in unpredictability. No two Jun vessels are alike and the uncertainty of the final outcome - as though created by nature - plays a vital role in its desirability. Creating such a captivating and exuberant colouration, as seen on the present vessel, is undoubtedly an exceptional artistic achievement, making this narcissus bowl one of the most alluring and outstanding extant examples of its type.

On the present bowl, the blue glaze on the inside is ravishingly bright and glossy, mirroring the blue of the sky; it is accentuated with a wash of mottled purple, reminiscent of a spontaneous and spirited brushstroke that runs and flows uninhibited along the well. The thick opalescent blue glaze is infused with the characteristic markings that have become known as ‘earthworm tracks', and merges with the red of the copper-bearing glaze on the outside, creating a dazzling variegated purplish effect in brilliant tones of mauve, lavender and plum. The rich, mottled purple glaze on the outside subtly and gradually transmutes to a pale mushroom tone that covers the ruyi feet, and all three feet are ‘beribboned’ by a band of vibrant ruby-red. The base of the vessel is thoughtfully applied with an attractive olive-brown wash and with a neat ring of tiny spur marks. Every part of the robust vessel entices one for an intimate inspection of its timeless sophistication and beauty.

While there are a number of narcissus bowls with this particular juxtaposition of purple and blue in major museums and prominent private collections, they are rarely complemented with this beautiful depth, mesmerising gradation and intensity of the glaze as seen on the present bowl. Related examples include three in the Sir Percival David Collection in the British Museum, with numerals four, five and seven (museum nos PDF.34, PDF.35 and PDF,A.56); three in the Beijing Palace Museum, with numerals one, two and seven, illustrated in Selection of Jun Ware. The Palace Museum's Collection and Archaeological Excavation, Beijing, 2013, pls 95, 94 and 113; four examples in the Taipei Palace Museum, with numerals one, two, four and eight, illustrated in A Panorama of Ceramics in the Collection of the National Palace Museum: Chun Ware, Taipei, 1999, pls 29, 31, 32 and 36; another two bowls with numerals one and four, from the Baur Collection, collection nos A47 and A48, illustrated in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in The Baur Collection, vol. 1, Geneva, 1999, pls 19 and 20; and an example with the numeral one, from the Eumorfopoulos Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession no. C.105-1939. One of the most representative groups of narcissus bowls is also preserved in the Harvard Art Museums. For examples sold at auction, see two bowls bearing the same numeral five, one was formerly in the Linyushanren Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 22nd March 2018, lot 542; the other sold at Christie’s New York, 15th September 2009, lot 341. See also an example with the numeral six, first sold in our London rooms, 12th June 2003, lot 108, and again in these rooms, 5th April 2017, lot 1107. Unlike other demonstrations of its kind commonly represented in museums or private collections, the present bowl boasts a unique colour gradient and vibrancy which constitutes a striking departure from the Jun ware paradigm.

水仙盆又稱為鼓釘盆，屬鈞窰花器，通器多僅施單色天藍或紫釉，常見底部刻有一至十數字，排序或與器物尺寸相關，刻有「一」字之器物通常尺寸最大。此件鈞窰水仙盆釉色藍紫交融，嬌美絕倫，更勝多數同類鈞瓷，其交融變換的釉彩深得明清宮廷喜愛。

此件鈞窰水仙盆，天藍及葡萄紫二色自然融合，明豔攝人，為同類鈞瓷中的上乘之作，其葡萄紫發色濃烟，天藍色亮澤典雅，二色濃淡自然交融，並在器口沿薄釉處漸變透亮，幾近透明，褐色器胎隱隱若現，盆中天藍釉中可見「蚯蚓走泥紋」，整器釉彩佈局脫俗非凡，可謂舉世無雙。其底足釉彩色變換更為特別，艷麗的葡萄紫釉流淌至如意形三足凸起外壁時變薄呈褐色，如意頭下凹處因積釉由出現一抹玫瑰紫，看似不經意而成，實則為畫龍點睛點綴之筆。

縱觀重要公私收藏，雖偶見相類刻有數字之鼓釘三足水仙盆，然能與此盆釉色完美交融之例實則少見。現藏於大英博物館的大維德基金會中有三例，底部分別刻有「四」、「五」、「七」字（博物館編號PDF.34、PDF.35、PDF.A.56）；北京故宮博物院藏有三例，底部分別刻有「一」、「二」、「七」字，見《鈞瓷雅集：故宮博物院珍藏及出土鈞窰瓷器薈萃》，北京，2013年，圖版95、94及113；台北故宮博物院有四例，分別刻有「一」、「二」、「四」、「八」字，見《故宮藏瓷大系：鈞窰之部》，台北，1999年，圖版29、31及36；另見鮑爾收藏中兩件，分別刻有「一」、「四」字，收藏編號A47及A48，見約翰．艾爾斯，《Chinese Ceramics in The Baur Collection》，卷1，日内瓦，1999年，圖版19及20。另見倫敦維多利亞與艾爾伯特博物館中尤氏舊藏一例，編號C.105-1939。哈佛藝術博物館亦藏有一組鈞窰水仙盆。拍賣之例，見臨宇山人舊藏例，同樣刻「五」字，售於紐約佳士得2018年3月22日，編號542；另一「五」字例，售於紐約佳士得2009年9月15日，編號341。另見刻有「六」字一例，售於倫敦蘇富比2003年6月12日，編號108，後又再次售於香港蘇富比2017年4月5日，編號1107。此件鈞窰水仙盆與所列之例比較，釉色肥潤、發色濃麗典雅，色彩佈局獨一無二，脫俗非凡，極為珍稀。