A FINE AND RARE LARGE CARVED 'LOQUATS' LONGQUAN CELADON BARBED-RIM CHARGER

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STYLISTIC DEVELOPMENTS AND AESTHETIC LINKS BETWEEN LONGQUAN AND JINGDEZHEN IN THE HONGWU REIGN ROSEMARY SCOTT INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC DIRECTOR, ASIAN ART This large Longquan dish or charger is not only an exceptionally fine example of early Ming celadon, it also provides an important developmental link between the celadons of the Yuan dynasty and those of the early 15th century Ming dynasty reigns as well as an important aesthetic link between the fine celadon-glazed wares from the Longquan kilns and the imperial porcelains from Jingdezhen. In the mid-14th century, during the period when the Mongols ruled China as the Yuan dynasty, the kilns producing Longquan celadons and those producing porcelain at Jingdezhen adapted some of their finest ceramics to accommodate the tastes of patrons from the west of China's borders - either those currently resident in China or those who received Chinese ceramics as gifts or as part of the export trade. One of the shapes that appeared at both kiln sites was the large dish with bracket-lobed rim. In the Yuan dynasty the large dishes with bracket-lobed rims made at the Jingdezhen kilns did not have lobed sides, although a small number of those from the Longquan kilns did. A large Yuan dynasty dish with bracket-lobed rim and lobed sides from the collection of the Longquan Celadon Museum is illustrated in Longquan Celadon of China, Hangzhou, 1998, pl. 120. It is notable, however that the lobes are not so well defined as those on the current dish, nor do they have incised decoration. Towards the end of the Yuan dynasty the large dishes made at Jingdezhen and the Longquan kilns were more frequently made with simple flattened rims, without lobing. However with the advent of the new dynasty and the new impetus for ceramic production in the Hongwu reign bracket-lobed rims reappeared at both kilns, and with the added feature of lobing to the sides that conformed to the shape of the rims, In a relatively small number of Longquan dishes, including the current example, this lobing was executed with crisp precision, and combined with finely carved and incised decoration and particularly fine glaze, producing vessels of outstanding quality. It is interesting to note that not only was the form of the rim and sides of these dishes similar at both the Longquan and the Jingdezhen kilns (although the feet were of a different type at the two kiln sites), but the incised and carved decoration on the fine celadon wares also echoed that of the underglaze painting at Jingdezhen. It is particularly interesting to note that the decorators of the high-quality lobed celadon dishes of the late 14th century adopted the same approach to decorating the internal lobes as did the decorators at the imperial kilns at Jiongdezhen. While scrolling designs had been successful at both kiln sites on the interior walls of smooth-sided dishes, such scrolls would not have been especially successful on an undulating surface. The current celadon dish has a discrete formal floral spray incised in each lobe, which is remarkably similar to those seen on a similarly sized Hongwu dish painted in underglaze blue in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (I), vol. 34, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 23, no. 21). Formal floral sprays of this type can also be seen in the lobes of large Hongwu dishes excavated at the site of the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen in 1994, such as those illustrated in Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelains excavated at Jingdezhen, Taipei, 1996, pp. 110-1, no. 23 and pp. 116, no. 26. While the depiction of naturally growing fruit on the branch became popular on the ceramics of the Yongle reign, fruit is very rarely seen on Hongwu vessels. This makes the fruiting loquat tree that forms the decoration of the central panel on the current dish particularly rare. A large (D: 55 cm.) Longquan dish of similar date and well-defined shape, with individual emblems in each of the lobes around the interior cavetto and a single-oriented plant in the central decorative panel, is illustrated in by R. Fujioka and G. Hasebe in Sekai toji zenshi 14 Ming, Tokyo, 1976, no. 131. This dish, like the current example, is rare in depicting a fruit tree - in that case a lycheee tree - rather than a flowering plant. The published dish comes from the collection of Chinese ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, and further examples of Longquan celadon dishes of this form with finely carved decoration from this collection are illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul I Yuan and Ming Celadon Wares, London & New York, 1986, pp. 300-1, nos. 233-9. However, only two of these dishes - those discussed as no. 237 - depict fruit trees, in this case peach trees. The current dish may be unique amongst these large, very fine quality, Longquan bracket-lobed dishes in having a fruiting loquat tree as its central decoration. Loquats are called pipa Iin Chinese or luju in classical literature. The modern name for the fruit derives from its resemblance in shape to the body of a musical instrument also called a pipa. Loquats are indigenous to south-eastern China, and both their fruit and leaves were used in traditional Chinese medicine. Loquats are mentioned in the works of the Tang dynasty poet, Li Bai ( AD 701-62 ), and appear in Chinese paintings at least as early as the Song dynasty. An anonymous album leaf, dated to the Southern Song dynasty, is illustrated by R.M. Barnhart in Peach Blossom Spring, New York, 1983, p. 33, no. 8. The admiration of loquat plants continued, and there is even a Loquat Pavilion in the famous Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou. They have traditionally been considered auspicious fruit since they embody the spirit of all four seasons. The plants bud in autumn, blossom in winter, the fruit sets in spring and ripens in summer. The fruit are also associated with gold because, when ripe, they are golden yellow in colour. Loquats are also amongst the auspicious plants associated with Duanwu Festival on the fifth day of the fifth month. It is especially interesting that the loquat tree on the current dish has been depicted as growing from a coherent ground, since this ties in well with recent research into the Jingdezhen porcelains of the Hongwu period. Until the mid-1990s, when the Hongwu stratum at the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen was excavated, it was understood that generally the plants painted on the interior of Hongwu dishes were either shown as 'growing' from the circular frame of the central panel (as in the case of the underglaze blue decorated dish illustrated in Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain excavated at Jingdezhen, op. cit., pp. 128-9, no. 32, or were occasionally depicted emerging from a rock at the lowest part of the frame (as in the case of the large dish with underglaze blue decoration illustrated ibid., pp. 104-5, no. 20). What became clear from the 1994 excavations was that large Hongwu bracket-lobed dishes from the Jingdezhen kilns were also sometimes decorated with naturalistically painted plants shown as 'growing' from a specifically indicated ground, as can be seen in the case of two large dishes illustrated ibid, pp. 130-333, nos. 33 and 34, and a fragment illustrated lower image p. 359 These finds confirmed the application of this type of decoration on imperial porcelains in the Hongwu reign, and it is significant that the vessels in question are large bracket-lobed dishes of similar form to the current Longquan celadon example. This magnificent dish is therefore rare and important on a number of counts. It appears to be the only published example decorated with a loquat tree, and is rare amongst Hongwu dishes for depicting any kind of fruit, as opposed to flowers in its main decorative area. It provides an important insight into the development from Yuan style to the style of the early 15th century. Lastly, and of special significance, this dish provides clear evidence of an aesthetic link between the finest Longquan celadons of the Hongwu reign and the underglaze-decorated porcelains made at the Imperial kilns in the same period. VARIOUS PROPERTIES

龍泉青釉批杷果紋菱口折沿盤

明洪武

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明洪武　　龍泉青釉批杷果紋菱口折沿盤

盤菱口，折沿，棱腹，圈足。盤心刻批杷果枝，沿邊兩面飾花卉紋，內、外壁印棱邊飾各式花卉紋。底一圈不施釉，留火石紅印。

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洪武朝龍泉青瓷與景德鎮御器於風格演變和裝飾手法的關連蘇玫瑰 — 國際亞洲藝術部學術總監這件大型瓷盤不但是明初龍泉青瓷的精品，還具體印證了元代至十五世紀初明代青瓷的風格演變，以及龍泉窰青瓷精品和景德鎮御瓷二者裝飾手法之關連，極具重要性。十四世紀中葉，蒙古人入主中原，建立元朝。為了迎合中、西亞市場的口味，生產龍泉青瓷的窰場和景德鎮瓷窰將部份最出色的陶瓷產品作出修改，有些賣給居於中國國境內的西域人，有些則通過或貿易賞賚落到西域諸國人士手中。這兩個窰場所生產的器物，有些造型相同，瓣口大盤是其一。元代景德鎮生產的菱花瓣口大盤，盤壁沒有相應的棱瓣，但少量同期龍泉菱花瓣口大盤兼有棱壁。龍泉青瓷博物館有一件元代大型菱花瓣口棱壁大盤（《中國龍泉青瓷》，杭州，1998年，圖版120），但棱壁輪廓不及本拍品分明，棱壁上也沒有劃花裝飾。元代晚期，景德鎮及龍泉窰的大盤比前多了平沿設計，沒有瓣口。然而，明代興起後，洪武朝對陶瓷器的需求形成一股新的推動力，瓣口器重現於景德鎮和龍泉窰，還添上與瓣口相應的棱壁。其中小部份龍泉瓷盤製作出類拔萃，棱壁規整利落，棱瓣內的紋飾刻劃精緻，釉面尤其精美，本拍品是其中佳例。值得留意的是，這類龍泉瓷盤和景德鎮瓷盤不但瓣口和棱壁相似（雖然器足不同），青瓷精品上的刻劃圖案與景德鎮的釉下彩紋飾也有很多共通處。無獨有偶，十四世紀晚期的精美棱壁青瓷與景德鎮棱壁御瓷，內棱壁的裝飾手法如出一轍，饒有趣味。一些龍泉和景德鎮窰平沿無棱瓷盤的內壁飾卷枝花紋，效果甚佳，但同樣紋飾用於起伏不平的棱壁內側，效果不一定理想。這次拍賣的青瓷大盤，內壁棱瓣淺刻互不相連的格式化折枝花，跟北京故宮博物館一件大小相若的洪武青花盤異常相似（《故宮博物館藏文物珍品全集34．青花釉裡紅（上）》，香港，2000年，頁23，圖21）。1994年景德鎮御廠遺址出土的洪武大盤，內壁亦見這類格式化折枝花（《景德鎮出土明初官窰瓷器》，台北，1996年，頁110-1，圖23；頁116，圖26）。描繪寫實的碩果滿枝圖案常見於永樂時期的陶瓷器，但洪武器物上非常少見。因此，這件龍泉青瓷大盤盤心的枇杷樹分外難得。《世界陶瓷全集14．明》（藤岡了一、長谷川祥子編，東京，1976年，圖131）收錄了一件年代相近、輪廓分明的龍泉大盤（直徑55厘米），圍繞內壁的棱瓣各飾獨立圖案，盤心飾一株荔枝樹。此盤跟本拍品的盤心紋飾，同樣是果樹而非花樹，非常罕見。《世界陶瓷全集》收錄的青瓷大盤屬伊斯坦堡托普卡皇宮博物館的中國陶瓷藏品。除此之外該藏品亦有多件同類而紋飾精美的龍泉青瓷盤（Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul I : Yuan and Ming Celadon Wares, London & New York, 1986, pp. 300-1, nos. 233-9），但以果樹作紋飾的，只有兩例，其一刻劃的是桃樹（圖237）。同類的精美龍泉菱花瓣口大盤中，大概只有本拍品獨一無二地以枇杷作盤心紋飾。枇杷是蘆橘的俗稱，因形似琵琶樂器而得名，原產中國東南部，果實和葉子也是傳統中藥材。唐代詩人李白《宮中行樂詞》有「盧橘（蘆橘）為秦樹」之句。至於枇杷於國畫中出現，最早見於宋代，一幅佚名南宋冊頁有枇杷的描繪（R.M. Barnhart, Peach Blossom Spring, New York, 1983, p. 33, no. 8）。千百年來，文人雅士對枇杷讚美不絕，明代建造的蘇州拙政園甚至有園子名為枇杷園。枇杷四季常青，秋天結蕊，冬天開花，春天結果，夏天果熟，盡得四時之氣，故此歷來被視為寓意吉祥的瑞果。由於果熟時碩果累累彷若滿枝披金，更添祥瑞。此外，枇杷亦是端午節的應節果子。值得指出的是，本拍品盤心的枇杷樹下還刻劃了地面，樹幹從地面長出，這跟近年景德鎮洪武瓷器之研究結果吻合。1990年代中期之前，出土自景德鎮明代御廠遺址洪武層的洪武瓷盤，盤心的植物紋一般都意會為從盤心的圓框「長出來」（例子見《景德鎮出土明初官窰瓷器》，頁128-9，圖32）；小部份圓框下方刻劃岩石，植物從岩石間冒出來，例子見於一件青花大盤（《景德鎮出土明初官窰瓷器》，頁104-5，圖20）。然而，1994年有新發現，部份出土的洪武菱花瓣口大盤，盤心的寫實植物紋下方刻劃了地面，植物從地面長出（《景德鎮出土明初官窰瓷器》，頁130-3，圖33、34的大瓷盤以及頁359下方瓷片）。這類洪武御製瓷器上的裝飾風格，從出土器物得到明證。這些景德鎮出土大盤跟這次拍賣的龍泉青瓷大盤又同樣是菱花瓣口，更是關鍵所在。因此，本拍品不但彌足珍貴，還具有多方面重要性。已發表的同類大盤中，本拍品是唯一採用枇杷作裝飾的例子；洪武大盤的盤心大多以花樹為紋飾主題，果樹非常罕見。這些特點都充分顯示出元代至十五世紀初裝飾風格的演變。最後，此盤具體印證了洪武朝的龍泉青瓷精品與同期景德鎮御製青花之裝飾手法息息相關，意義尤其重大。

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