A white-glazed relief-carved 'peony' lobed vase, Seal mark and period of Jiaqing | 清嘉慶 白釉雕牡丹紋石榴尊《大清嘉慶年製》款

Collection of Alice Boney (1901-1988) (according to label).

Acquired in Paris, circa 1990.

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Alice Boney（1901-1988）收藏（據標籤）

得自巴黎，約1900年

The lobed pomegranate form of the present vase has a long and illustrious history in the Chinese canon. While also used by connoisseurs to describe archaic bronze vessels from the Han dynasty, the term shiliuzun (‘pomegranate vase’) is most commonly associated with a rare and coveted early Ming vase form; its body divided into six lobes, rising from a tall splayed foot to a waisted cylindrical neck and elegantly sweeping upwards to an out-turned rim and rolled lip. These Yongle and Xuande period examples were likely inspired in turn by the ‘treasure vases’ (bum-pa) of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and their extraordinary form continued to obsess collectors, emperors and artisans alike in the ensuing centuries.

Compare an example of this type of Xuande mark and period from the Qing court collection, almost certainly known to the Jiaqing potters, now preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing illustrated in Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci [Early Ming blue-and-white porcelain in the Palace Museum], Beijing, 2002, vol. 1, pl. 100; and a more common Qing variation on the design without moulding and covered in a flambé glaze, including a Qianlong example sold in our New York rooms, 20th September 2023, lot 530; and a Jiaqing example sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1532.

While similar 18th century vases decorated with clear glaze and moulded biscuit decoration are well attested, it is extremely rare to find such a pristine example of this historical form displaying such evident ‘Imperial Taste.’ Compare a closely related white shiliuzun of a more globular unlobed form with a moulded decoration of bats and flowers, preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei and included in the exhibition Qingdai danse you ciqi tezhan [Special exhibition of monochrome glazed porcelain of the Qing dynasty], Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 64; a closely related unmarked lobed example, sold in our New York rooms, 17th September 2003, lot 104; and another Jiaqing example, almost identical but for variations to the floral moulding, offered from the collection of Eleanor Masters Hutchinson (1900-1985) at Christie’s New York, 16th September 2016, lot 1366. 

本瓶呈石榴形，器身起伏有致，為中國傳統器物造型中歷史悠久且極具地位者。「石榴尊」一詞雖亦常用於指稱漢代青銅器之古雅形制，但在瓷器領域中，則最常用以稱呼明初罕見且備受珍賞之一種瓶式，其特徵為六瓣瓜稜形瓶身，由高圈足起升，過束腰頸，向上延展至外撇捲邊口沿。此類永樂與宣德年間的典型器形，極可能受藏傳佛教「寶瓶」形制所啟發，並於後世歷代持續為帝王、藏家與工匠所傾倒，反覆摹仿。

可參考一件北京故宮博物院所藏、宣德款與年製之例，幾乎可以確定為嘉慶時期御窯工匠所仿效，著錄於耿寶昌主編《故宮博物院藏明初青花瓷》，北京，2002年，卷1，圖版100。另見於清代常見類型，未具稜線雕飾而通體施窯變釉，包括一件乾隆時期之例，曾售於紐約蘇富比，2023年9月20日，編號530；以及一件嘉慶例，售於香港蘇富比拍場，2007年10月9日，編號1532。

雖然十八世紀亦有不少白釉與模印裝飾的此類瓶式傳世，然能見如此典雅、造型純正、展現「帝王品味」之代表作，實屬罕有。可對比台北國立故宮博物院所藏一件白釉模印蝙蝠與花卉紋飾之變體瓶，造型略趨圓潤，納入1981年「清代單色釉瓷器特展」，編號64；另見一件未署款之六瓣石榴尊，售於紐約蘇富比，2003年9月17日，編號104；以及一件嘉慶時期之例，與本品幾近一致，僅模印花卉紋有所不同，曾為Eleanor Masters Hutchinson（1900–1985）收藏，售於2016年9月16日紐約佳士得，編號1366。