明永樂 甜白釉暗花「四季花卉」圖撇口盌

superbly potted, the deep rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot to a wide flared rim, deftly incised on the exterior with four detached foliate sprays of lotus, camellia, rose and peony, each naturalistically rendered with an attendant bud and corresponding leaves under a faint double-line border at the rim, the interior centred with a medallion enclosing a fruiting branch of pomegranate within double circles, one of the fruits bursting open revealing its numerous seeds, the white porcelain covered overall with a very smooth 'sweet-white' (tianbai) glaze, save for the slightly beveled footring left in the biscuit

Peter Boode，倫敦
Carl Kempe 收藏

《Oriental Ceramics: The World’s Great Collections》，卷8，東京，1982年， 圖版206
Bo Gyllensvärd，《Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection》，斯德哥爾摩，1964年，編號667
《Chinese Ceramic Treasures. A Selection from the Ulricehamn East Asian Museum, including The Carl Kempe Collection》， 瑞典遠東文物博物館，Ulricehamn，2002年，頁269，編號858

The bowl is in very fine condition. There are a couple of pin-prick air bubbles on the interior medallion and one or two characteristic minor stain pin-pricks to the rim. The actual colour is more milky white, less greyish compared to the catalogue illustration.
"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."

此盌秀麗典雅，屬永樂一朝白釉瓷之絕品佳作。Daisy Lion-Goldschmidt 在《Ming Porcelain》，倫敦，1978年，頁79，稱白釉乃永樂朝之驕傲，其工藝臻美空前絕後，胎質細密、淨白透亮，口沿薄若無胎，是以有「透胎」之譽，且紋飾細膩含蓄，僅對光可視。所指飾藝，應為暗花，即於素胎表面輕劃花紋，上掛施釉漿。例子可參考北京故宮博物院藏永樂白釉暗花盌，錄於《中國陶瓷全集》，卷13，第2部分，上海，1999年，圖版5。

有一尺寸略小之盌，細劃花卉，或含蕾，或盛綻，三度售於蘇富比，紐約1982年6月4日，編號215，倫敦1999年11月17日，編號750，香港2009年10月8日，編號1623。同屬 Kempe 典藏之劃牡丹蓮紋，錄於《Oriental Ceramics: The World’s Great Collections》，東京、紐約、三藩市，1980-82年，卷8，圖版210，後售於巴黎蘇富比2008年6月12日，編號29。另可比較一尺寸略小之白釉盌，素面無紋，明官窰遺址永樂早期地層出土，展於《景德鎮珠山出土永樂宣德官窰瓷器展覽》，香港藝術博物館，香港，1989年，編號16。

永樂設御窰廠於景德鎮，造就該朝御器之輝煌。朱棣對藝文之追求，推動瓷作發展，務精益求精。其時，燒造事宜由工部集中管理，受聖上直接管轄之內閣監督，容讓永樂帝涉足供御瓷品之工藝風格。

白色於中國雖為哀悼之色，但白釉器常用於佛教儀式，似乎也切合宮廷士員之品味。宋晟夫婦二墓出土永樂白釉瓷共129件，均纖薄秀麗，屬重要永樂白瓷遺存，兩人分別卒於永樂五（1407）及十六年（1418）。