明洪武 釉裏紅纏枝牡丹紋玉壺春瓶

of elegant pear shape rising from a low foot to a voluminous curved body and a tapered neck surmounted by a flared rim, freely painted in greyish tones of underglaze copper red with four large peony blooms borne on a broad continuous scroll, the flowers wreathed by attendant buds and characteristic serrated leaves, all between a band of petal lappets containing cloud motifs around the base and a collar of pendent veined trefoils collaring the shoulder, the neck further decorated with a floral scroll and a row of upright overlapping plantains divided by a border of key-fret within double lines, the inner mouthrim and the foot encircled with key-fret, the base and inner foot glazed

出光美術館藏品，東京
徐展堂收藏

《中国陶磁：出光美術館藏品圖錄》，東京，1987年，編號626

Half the rim has been restored with a hairline crack running down the neck. These is a 4 in. hairline crack running from the centre of the base up to the lower body. There are glaze pulls at the edges of the flowers. The red is somewhat pale with slight pinkish highlights in areas.
"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."

明初景德鎮官窰瓷藝畫師，一改前朝繁密奔放之風，採清雅井然之飾。洪武釉裏紅，其色溫婉宓穆，正合此風，乃當朝重要瓷品。景德鎮市陶瓷考古研究所瓷器專家劉新園指，御器廠曾有系統地大量燒製釉裏紅（詳見劉新園，〈景德鎮珠山出土的明初與永樂官窰瓷器之研究〉，《景德鎮出土明初官窰瓷器》，台北，1996年，頁52）。然發色不易，難於掌握，是以成功之例甚稀。

明初新風，雖為景德鎮匠人迎來瓷藝紋飾之變革，但首卅載，御窰瓷作仍多飾以花卉、卷草、回紋一類圖樣或邊飾，如本品上見，因循卻典雅，有條而不紊。劉新園也提及，明初瓷飾題材較元朝單調，構圖不及嚴密，運筆亦略欠活潑生動，但洪武瓷之素樸雄渾，別具風韻，歷代官窰中難得一見，出處同上，頁37。

清宮舊藏有一相類玉壺春瓶，現仍存北京，圖見於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．青花釉裏紅（上）》，上海，2000年，圖版197。東京國立博物館也有藏例，收錄於《Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections》，卷1，東京，1982年，圖版112。相類纏枝牡丹紋玉壺春瓶還見 Harry Garner 爵士舊藏，售於倫敦蘇富比1961年11月21日，編號24。《龍泉集芳：創業七十周年記念》中又載四例，東京，1976 年，卷1，圖版721-74。倫敦蘇富比近於2012年11月7日售出相近玉壺春瓶，編號317。另有一器，雅致大方，發色鮮豔殷紅，流傳有緒，曾售於香港蘇富比1988年5月17日，編號12，最近一次拍出，乃於香港佳士得2006年5月30日，編號1248。

朱元璋稱帝以前，曾領紅巾軍推翻蒙元之治，與白蓮教亦頗有淵源。他鍾情銅紅之器，或與此有關。