明永樂 青花輪花綬帶葫蘆扁瓶

modelled after a Middle Eastern metal prototype, elegantly potted with a flattened spherical body with two domed sections, either ying-yang side centred with a medallion radiating an eight-pointed starburst, the foliate points interspersed between palmette or ornaments, all within a formal 'half-cash' diaper border around the edge, surmounted by a waisted neck and a small bulb-shaped mouth, collared by a foliate scroll band of aster and carnation, flanked by a pair of gracefully arched handles with terminals similarly adorned with floral sprays the narrow sides plainly decorated with a pair of parallel thin blue lines on the edges, all raised on a low oval foot, the cobalt blue of a brilliant tone with characteristic 'heaping and piling'

壺中居，東京，1980年代

The moonflask is slightly tilted. Apart from an original 2.5 cm glaze crack to the base of the neck along the luting line, as well as some minor surface scratches, the overall condition is very good. The cobalt blue is of an attractive tone.
"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."

本器屬明初景德鎮御窰經典造型之一，極受中外皇室青睞。形制別於往昔中國瓷作，創思靈感源於波斯，開闢蹊徑。其瓶腹渾圓，邊廓規整，橢圓淺足，為永樂大扁瓶之典型特徵。相若作例，見於土耳其奧斯曼蘇丹珍藏，載於康蕊君，《Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul》，倫敦，1986年，卷2，圖版616。另見上海博物館藏例，錄於《青花磁器展》，松屋銀座，東京，1988年，編號16。亦有一例，曾屬靜觀堂及黃鼎軒雅藏，錄於《好古敏求：敏求精舍三十五週年紀念展》，香港藝術館，香港，1995年，編號124，售於香港蘇富比1991年10月29日，編號29，後兩次售於香港佳士得1996年11月3日，編號545，以及2006年11月28日，編號1512。相近扁瓶還有一例，售於巴黎蘇富比2009年12月18日，編號65。

近似形制扁瓶，尺寸略小，但蒜頭口及瓶腹更大，一面紋飾同於本器，另一面裝飾相類交鎖花瓣及如意紋，例如見上海世華藝術館藏例，刊於趙月汀編，《皇帝的瓷器．景德鎮出土明三代官窰瓷器珍品薈萃》，上海，2010年，圖版23，同書收錄一件永樂早期白釉扁瓶，素紋，無圈足，見圖版19，以及一件宣德年款青花例，長方形圈足，見圖版68。明初扁瓶形制紋樣之微妙演變，觀諸作，可窺一斑。

本器造型紋飾應源於中近東陶器或金屬器原型，然迄今未現完全一致之範例。有關其來源之探究，可參考 Margaret Medley，〈Islam and Chinese Porcelain in the 14th and Early 15th Centuries〉，《香港東方陶瓷學會會刊》，第6期，1982-4年，其中列舉一件英國大維德基金會藏宣德款扁瓶，見圖11。John Alexander Pope 在〈An Early Ming Porcelain in Muslim Style〉文中，刊錄另一件青花扁瓶例，《Aus der Welt der Islamischen Kunst. Festschrift für Ernst Kuhnel，柏林，1959年，圖版3B，並載一件嵌飾銅壺，作相若綬帶狀雙耳及蒜頭口，見圖版1B，後者為 Eumorfopoulos 典藏，售於倫敦蘇富比1940年6月5日，編號72，現藏華盛頓弗利爾美術館。

瓶腹兩面所繪輪花紋，採幾何構圖，其形式化及抽象性於中國之圖像意義中較為罕見，瓶腹沿廓所見三角形及幾何圖案邊飾，皆富中東色彩。然瓶頸纏枝花卉及雙耳根部折枝花紋，則突顯傳統中國樣式風範。儘管翠菊與康乃馨圖案相配實屬罕見，但雅緻新奇的花卉元素更巧妙地為原本拘謹的圖案增添幾分柔美。此扁瓶器形，流行於永宣時期，為二朝獨有。