明隆慶 青花「瑞芝雲龍」雜寶紋蓋盒 《大明隆慶年造》款

of circular form, robustly potted, the domed cover with a slightly raised central panel and encircled by raised bands at the rims on both box and cover, all supported on a wide, slightly tapered foot, brightly painted overall in two tones of cobalt blue, the cover with a barbed medallion enclosing two confronting five-clawed dragons among lingzhi scrolls, one ascending the other descending, both with raised snouts and open jaws, their scaly bodies writhing amidst dense foliage, all within a double-line border, the sides decorated with eight barbed panels, four around the box and four around the cover, each enclosing a five-clawed dragon animated in a different stride among foliate lingzhi, divided by detached sprays of fungus supporting one of the 'Eight Treasures' (Babao), with the wish-granting pearl (baozhu), a coin (qian), the coral (shanhu), and a lozenge (fangsheng) on the cover, and an ingot (ding), a ruyi head, a rhinoceros horn (xijiao), and stylised chime (qing) on the box, the raised rim borders filled with swirling clouds between double lines repeated on the foot, the interior and the base left white, the thick footring and the inner rims left unglazed and fired brick red, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within double circles

出光美術館藏品，東京

《In Pursuit of the Dragon - Traditions and Transitions in Ming Ceramics》，西雅圖美術館，西雅圖，1988年，圖錄編號60

《中国陶磁：出光美術館蔵品図録》，東京，1987年，彩圖712

The box is overall in good condition. There is a 4.5 cm flake inside the box rim, another 1 cm. chip and some fritting to the raised ridge on the interior of the box. There is a small original firing crack with associated crackles in the glaze in one area around the edge of the box. There is a faint 7.5 cm, hairline crack across the foot ring. There are some expected small imperfections, light scratches on the surface, minor shrinkage in the glaze or pin-prick air bubbles on the interior of the box and of the cover.
"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."

隆慶一朝，僅止六年而已，是以書隆慶款之藝作甚罕。除國祚短促，據宮廷記錄，1560年代末至1570年代初，景德鎮御窰廠四周大水成災，嚴重影響瓷品燒造。隆慶年間，且有火害、地震、水淹等災厄。因此，隆慶年款瓷器別具歷史意義，就如 Jessica Harrison-Hall 於《Ming Ceramics in the British Museum》中道，倫敦，2001年，頁268，正因隆慶一朝極短，製瓷有限，遠不及嘉萬之盛。

隆慶瓷藝風格，相類於嘉靖及萬曆初年，其深藍釉均十分出色，鮮明耀眼。如此品之蓋盒，器形多樣，有扁圓、正方、花棱、長方、元寶形等。隆慶瓷作備受珍賞，除因器極罕稀，還在於其塑形與釉色之樸雅。

與本品相仿之唯一器例，原屬艾弗瑞‧克拉克伉儷藏，後先後入 K.R. Malcolm 及倫敦 Eskenazi 寶蓄，兩次售於香港佳士得，分別為1999年4月26日，編號549，以及2003年7月7日，編號645。從前 Franks 典藏中有一方盒，上飾五爪雙龍，穿梭卷延瑞芝中，書隆慶年款，現存倫敦大英博物館，出處同上，圖版10:5，作者認為該器昔日或有置存印璽之用。

台北故宮博物院藏相類隆慶青花龍紋蓋盒，見銀元寶形盒例，載於《故宮藏瓷：明清花瓷六‧隆慶‧萬曆》，香港，1963年，圖版2。另有一方勝形盒例，見於《天民樓藏瓷》，香港藝術館，香港，1987年，圖版42。大衛德基金會舊藏七棱盒，現存大英博物館，圖見 Margaret Medley，《Illustrated Catalogue of Underglaze Blue and Copper Red Decorated Porcelains》，第3部分，倫敦，1976年，頁45，圖版A656，同頁書中作者稱道該盒精製妙造，且書款異常秀逸。她續指波士頓美術館應藏有一例，與該盒相配，出處同上，頁45。北京故宮博物院藏相類隆慶龍紋圓盒，連同清宮舊藏龍鳳紋盒，錄於《中國陶瓷全集》，卷12（第2部分），上海，2000年，圖版178及180。也可比較戶栗舊藏五爪逐珠游龍圖盒，於倫敦蘇富比2004年6月9日售出，編號20；及龍紋鏤空方蓋盒，售於香港佳士得1997年4月28日，編號679。

此龍紋圖樣，至萬曆年間仍見沿用；可參考一萬曆年款盒例，於倫敦蘇富比1981 年7月14日售出，編號81；另有一器，售於香港佳士得2009年5月27日，編號1865，也可資比較。