A wucai 'dragon' square zun-form vase, Mark and period of Wanli | 明萬曆 五彩龍紋方尊《大明萬曆年製》款

Collection of Michel Duchange, Paris.

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Michel Duchange收藏，巴黎

This rare imperial vase is of archaic square zun form, with upright galleried rim, recessed moulded foot, and four animal-mask handles applied at each corner in high relief, recalling ancient bronze ritual vessels. Each of the four facets is decorated in a vibrant wucai palette, combining underglaze blue with iron-red, green, and yellow enamels. The panels are each centred with a five-clawed dragon shown in flight amidst flowering branches—morning glory, prunus, aster, and peony—emerging above cresting waves. A keyfret band encircles the shoulder, and the rim bears a six-character Wanli reign mark written in a single horizontal line.

The vase reflects the Wanli court’s interest in archaism through form, while also embracing polychrome surface decoration with auspicious motifs. The successful execution of the square shape, integrated with relief modelling and enamel painting, highlights the technical complexity of late Ming imperial porcelain. Examples of this form and decoration are extremely rare.

A closely related vase from the Ise Foundation was exhibited in Chefs-d’œuvre de la Collection Ise, Musée Guimet, Paris, 2017, and illustrated in the accompanying catalogue, pp 150–151, cat. no. 52. Compare also an almost identical vase from a Japanese collection published in A Jiajing and Wanli Exhibition, Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo, 2016, pp 46–49; and a related vase of the same form, painted in underglaze blue and later redecorated in lacquer, in the British Museum, London, illustrated in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p. 340, cat. no. 11:169.

此件罕見的宮廷用瓶為仿古方尊式造型，口沿直立呈闌額式，方形圈足內斂凹入，四角貼飾高浮雕獸面耳，形制仿自青銅禮器。四面分別以釉下青花結合彩釉（礬紅、綠、黃）裝飾，主體圖案為五爪飛龍盤旋於牽牛、梅花、紫菀及牡丹等花枝間，花卉自翻湧海水中生發而出。肩部一圈飾回紋，口沿橫書「大明萬曆年製」六字款。

此瓶體現萬曆朝宮廷對仿古造型的審美興趣，並融合多彩釉飾與吉祥圖案。方形器身結合高浮雕與彩繪技術，燒製難度極高，顯示晚明御用瓷器工藝的高度成熟。具此造型與裝飾風格的作品傳世極罕。

可參考法國伊勢基金會舊藏一例，曾展於巴黎吉美博物館2017年「伊勢收藏精品展」（Chefs-d’œuvre de la Collection Ise），並著錄於展覽圖錄編號52，頁150–151。另見一件舊日本收藏之完全相同器例，出版於東京前田公司《嘉靖與萬曆展覽》，2016年10月，頁46–49。亦有一件相似造型之器物，通體青花裝飾，後經髹漆改彩，現藏大英博物館，著錄於 Jessica Harrison-Hall 編《大英博物館明代瓷器》，2001年，編號11:169，頁340。