Lot 55: Blue and White Yuhuchun Vase with Intertwined Floral Design 青花缠枝花卉纹玉壶春瓶

来源：于八十年代购自香港私人收藏家。
Provenance: Acquired from a private collector in Hong Kong in the 1980s

Diameter 口径 7.3 cm Height 高 27 cm Foot Diameter 足径 10.3 cm

Estimate 估价: SGD 2,000,000 – SGD 2,800,000
Starting Price 起拍价: SGD 1,000,000

小口，短颈，丰肩，敛腹，圈足微撇，底部露胎，见明显的旋削痕。

敞口，束颈，垂腹，圈足。该器线条流畅，胎质坚致细腻，釉面莹润肥亮。器身通体以苏麻离青料绘制，发色浓艳明快，浓处带铁锈斑。自上而下分层饰如意云头纹、回纹、卷草纹，腹部主纹为缠枝四季花卉纹，牡丹、栀子、菊花、茶花，构图主次分明，纹饰舒展灵动，尽显永乐官窑的清雅风范。四季花卉纹样承载着“四季平安”的吉祥寓意，玉壶春瓶形制从宋元酒器向明代宫廷陈设瓷的演变，更折射出明初宫廷礼制与生活方式的改变。

The vessel has a small mouth, short neck, full shoulders, a tapering body and a slightly everted ring foot. The base is left unglazed, revealing distinct trimming marks.

The yuhuchun vase is potted with a flared mouth, a waisted neck, a pendant belly and a ring foot. The lines are fluid and graceful; the body is firm, dense and finely textured, and the glaze is lustrous, smooth and rich. The entire vessel is painted in underglaze blue using imported Sumali cobalt. The cobalt tone is rich and brilliant, with iron-rust spots visible in the darker areas.

The decoration is arranged in registers from top to bottom, including ruyi-cloud heads, key-fret and scrolling foliage. The principal design on the body is a continuous scroll of flowers of the four seasons, comprising peony, gardenia, chrysanthemum and camellia. The composition is clearly structured, with a well-balanced hierarchy of main and subsidiary motifs, and the decoration is graceful and lively, fully displaying the elegant character of Yongle imperial porcelain. The four-season floral design carries the auspicious meaning of “peace throughout the four seasons”. The form of the yuhuchun vase, evolving from a Song-Yuan wine vessel into a Ming court display object, also reflects changes in early Ming court ritual practice and ways of life.