A unique and outstanding imperial blue and white 'dragon' ewer, Ming dynasty, Yongle period | 明永樂 御製青花雲龍紋執壺

Property from a Distinguished Asian Collection

A unique and outstanding imperial blue and white 'dragon' ewer, 

Ming dynasty, Yongle period

亞洲顯赫私人珍藏

明永樂 御製青花雲龍紋執壺

22.5 cm

masterfully constructed with striking precision and the upper elements of the vessel forming a straight line, the pear-shaped body resting on a splayed foot and rising to a slender neck and flared, galleried rim, flanked by a slender curved spout and a grooved strap handle with an eyelet for attachment to the cover, each main side of the vessel gently flattened and decorated with a subtly raised peach-shaped panel painted in rich cobalt-blue tones with a powerfully rendered five-clawed dragon soaring with an upturned head amidst flaming wisps detailed with ruyi-heads, the two dragons skilfully portrayed in direct mirror image, all above a frieze of stylised cloud scrolls encircling the lower body above the key-fret bordered footrim, all below borders of lotus petals and foliate motifs around the neck, interrupted by the strap handle on one side where it joins the neck, the handle elegantly formed with a ruyi-head terminal where it meets the body of the vessel, further painted along its length with a foliate lotus scroll, all enclosed within a double-line border, the lotus motif echoed on the opposite side at the base of the spout and rendered in a barbed cartouche enclosing exquisitely painted meandering lotus scrolls

執壺胎質淨白，釉層晶瑩，撫之如脂，讓人愛不釋手。器呈梨式，頸細口外撇，肩垂腹扁圓，壺流纖細婉麗，與執柄曲弧相得益彰，整體比例恰到好處，賞心悅目。器腹兩面微隆作桃式開光，濃青妙繪，畫五爪雲龍，如鏡像對照，昂首壺流一方，傾倒時恰好凝視瓊漿。龍目圓瞪，短髮揚起，彷彿剛從高空俯身降臨，旋即展腿張爪，便欲仰首騰飛，祥雲縈繞，英姿矯健。身置桃式開光中，構圖飽滿，卻不感拘束，自在傲翔。從器頸至足牆，輔飾蓮瓣、卷草、回紋等，呼應流根菱式開光及柄上的纏枝蓮紋，渾然一體，極具巧思。永樂重器，傳世孤品，奠定明代御瓷龍紋基礎，誠皇權象徵的極致。