A rare 'magic fountain' ewer, Mark and period of Jiajing | 明嘉靖 青花噴泉紋執壺 《大明嘉靖年製》款

European Private Collection

Sotheby's London, 5th November 2014, lot 318.

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歐洲私人收藏

倫敦蘇富比，2014年11月5日，編號318

Imaginative and technically intricate, ewers of this rare form—often referred to as 'Magic Fountain' vessels—represent some of the most whimsical and captivating creations among blue and white wares of the Jiajing reign. The present example is masterfully potted with a tall spreading foot rising to a compressed pear-shaped body, surmounted by a tall hexagonal serpentine spout and a looping bracket handle applied with a raised lug. The decoration is equally elaborate: the foot encircled with cresting waves from which a qilin emerges, supporting a large basin issuing streams of water from phoenix and dragon-head spouts—an extraordinary scene evoking the mechanical marvels of imperial fountains. Plantain leaves encircle the flaring neck, auspicious lozenges and flame scrolls adorn the spout, and the handle is embellished with stylised floral motifs.

The complex construction and fantastical subject matter reflect the technical virtuosity of the imperial kilns and the Ming court's fascination with Daoist ideals, exotic wonders, and playful, otherworldly themes.

The iconography and concept of the fountain have been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. In a 1952 article, Sir Percival David proposed that the inspiration may have derived from the famed ‘Magic Fountain’ observed by William of Rubruck in 1254 at the court of Möngke Khan in Karakorum. This mechanical marvel, built by the Parisian goldsmith Guillaume Boucher, was said to dispense various beverages at the touch of a lever. Suzanne G. Valenstein supports this theory by illustrating a fourteenth-century handscroll depicting an imaginative reconstruction of the Tang dynasty Da Ming Palace, which features a similarly fantastical fountain flowing from mask-like spouts (China House Gallery, New York, 1970–71, fig. 4). Arthur Upham Pope, however, offers a different perspective, suggesting that the inspiration more likely came from Italian Renaissance fountains, whose elaborate, mask-spouting designs were well known and aligned more closely with Ming decorative tastes.

Closely related Jiajing-marked examples are recorded in notable collections. Compare one such ewer is illustrated by Regina Krahl and John Ayers in Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, Yuan and Ming Dynasty Porcelains, vol. II, no. 1013, col. pl. p. 453, collection no. TKS 15/1462, p. 654 ; another published by Marchant in Recent Acquisitions, 2010, no. 3, pp. 8–9 and back cover; and three other related ‘Magic Fountain’ ewers are also illustrated by Regina Krahl and John Ayers, op. cit, 1014-6, p. 655/6, demonstrating the popularity and enduring appeal of this remarkable form.

The present piece stands as a compelling synthesis of architectural invention, symbolic richness, and painterly flourish, capturing the Jiajing emperor’s enduring quest for celestial harmony and worldly marvels.

此類器型奇特且工藝精湛之執壺，常被稱為「噴水仙人壺」，為嘉靖時期青花瓷器中最具奇趣與吸引力之傑作。該件器物造型精妙：高圈足支撐著逐漸展開、通向扁平梨形腹的器身，上部設有高聳之六角形曲流壺嘴及配有耳突的環狀托柄。全器裝飾華美：足部周圍繪以翻湧之海浪，浪中描繪有一隻麒麟，該麒麟正駐足支撐著一個噴泉的水盆，而水則自鳳首與龍首形的流口傾瀉而下；頸部飾以蕉葉；壺嘴上繪有吉祥菱形圖案與火焰捲草紋；壺柄則鑲有精緻花卉圖案，構成一幅動人且層次豐富的景象。

該壺之複雜構造與奇幻題材，不僅展現了明代御瓷工匠的卓越技藝，也反映出宮廷對道家理想、異國奇觀與超現實主題的熱衷追求。

關於此「噴水仙人」圖式之來源，學界論證紛呈。戴維爵士（Sir Percival David）於1952年撰文提出，其靈感可能源自1254年蒙哥汗宮廷中所見的「魔法噴泉」——該泉由巴黎金匠紀堯姆·布歇（Guillaume Boucher）為蒙哥汗於和林所建，據稱能按需出現各式飲品。蘇珊·瓦倫斯坦（Suzanne G. Valenstein）進一步引用一幅十四世紀之唐代大明宮想像手卷作佐證，其中亦繪有類似面具噴水的噴泉（紐約中國之家美術館，1970–71年，圖版4）。然而，阿瑟·厄普漢姆·波普（Arthur Upham Pope）則認為，其靈感更可能取自義大利文藝復興時期之噴泉，其造型與明代宮廷審美更為契合。

嘉靖款「噴水仙人壺」之相似器物亦見於多項重要藏品中。一例詳錄於康蕊君與John Ayers合著之《伊斯坦堡托普卡比宮中國瓷器：元明瓷》，冊2，編號1013，頁453，藏品編號TKS 15/1462，詳見頁654；另一例則刊於馬錢特2010年出版之《近期藏品》圖錄，編號3，見頁8–9及封底。此外，康蕊君與John Ayers同書中亦記錄了另外三件相關之「噴水仙人壺」，編號1014–1016，載於頁655–656，足見此器型於嘉靖一朝廣受青睞。

該件作品綜合了建築構思、象徵意涵與繪飾技巧，既展現了嘉靖皇帝對天人合一理念與異國奇觀之追求，亦體現出明代御瓷工藝與創意的卓越成就，實為文物珍品。