An heirloom Longquan celadon 'peony' handled vase, Ming dynasty | 明　龍泉青釉刻牡丹紋獸耳銜環瓶

Exquisitely potted with an elegant pear-shaped body rising to a flared neck, the present vase is distinguished by its finely carved peony scrolls and the imposing animal-head handles suspending rings. The rich, lustrous sea-green glaze further accentuates the depth of the carving, exemplifying the high quality of Longquan celadon wares produced during the early Ming dynasty.

While the present vase is notable for its carved floral motifs and animal-mask handles, vases of a related pear-shaped form can be found in important museum collections. For related examples, though undecorated and featuring flattened ribbed handles, compare two vases dated to the 13th/14th century in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, London, 1986, pp. 220-221, nos. 200 and 201. Another related example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, vol. 12, fig. 63.

For related examples sold at auction, see a Yuan/Ming dynasty 14th-century Longquan celadon vase sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2012, lot 4248. Two further related vases were also sold in the same rooms, 1 June 2011, lot 3812, and 30 November 2011, lot 3008.

本瓶器形優美，撇口，垂腹，頸部兩側飾獸耳銜環，通體精刻牡丹紋，罩施龍泉青釉，釉色瑩潤如玉，刻工深淺有致，展現明代龍泉窰之卓絕工藝。本品附帶日式雙層木盒，足見此瓶曾流傳至日本，並深受當地藏家與茶人所珍視。

本品以其精美的刻花及獸耳銜環尤為出眾，相類之玉壺春瓶器形可見於重要博物館館藏。參考相類但通體素面並飾直條紋雙耳之例，可比較伊斯坦堡托普卡比宮博物館藏兩件十三至十四世紀之作，錄於康蕊君著，《Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul》，倫敦，1986年，頁220-221，編號200及201。紐約大都會藝術博物館亦藏一相關例子，錄於《世界陶磁全集》，卷12，圖版63。

拍賣市場上亦可見相類例子，參考香港佳士得2012年5月30日拍出之元/明十四世紀龍泉青釉瓶，拍品編號4248；以及同拍賣行2011年6月1日拍出之拍品編號3812，及2011年11月30日之拍品編號3008。