A RARE CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER 'HUNTING SCENE' BOWL

16th/17th century

16th/17th century
The rounded sides rising from a short foot to a flared rim, deeply carved with a continuous scene of four Mongolian equestrian hunters armed with spears, one of which has successfully speared an animal, riding in a tree-strewn landscape including pine, willow, paulownia, with grass and lingzhi, reserved on a floral diaper ground, the interior lacquered black, with hongmu stand. 10.8cm (4 1/4in) diam. (2).

十六/十七世紀 剔紅狩獵圖盌

Provenance:
Captain W.F. Collins (1865-1948), Beijing, who sent the bowl to Bluett's on 27 February 1926
Bluett & Sons Ltd., London
E. A. Parry (1879-1946), London, acquired from the above on 26 May 1926, and thence by descent

來源：
高林士（1865-1948）於1926年2月27日由北京送至倫敦古董商Bluett's
倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.
倫敦E. A. Parry（1879-1946）舊藏，於1928年5月26日購自上者，並由後人保存迄今

Captain William Fellows Collins, was agent in Peking of the Anglo-French China Corporation Ltd and of S. Pearson & Son, and supplied Bluett's. John Sparks, Franck & Co and other dealers with consignment of Chinese ceramics and works of art from Beijing. He later reached the rank of Colonel and was awarded the DSO. For more information about Collins, see R.Davids and D.Jellinek, Provenance, Oxon, 2011, p.124.

Lacquer bowls depicting hunting are rare. Although hunting was extolled by early Ming Emperors - who had inherited the tradition from the Mongol Yuan as a sign of military prowess and state authority, by the mid and late Ming period it was seen by the literati as a distraction from grave matters of state. The role of hunting became a charged area of contestation, where Ming Emperors and senior court ministers staked claims about rulership, ruler-minister relations, and the role of the military in the polity. The heirless Zhengde Emperor (1505-1521) was particularly passionate about hunting, much to the consternation of his ministers; see D.M.Robinson, Martial Spectacles of the Ming Court, Cambridge MA, 2013, pp.214-220. See two related hardstone-inlaid zitan boxes and covers, early Qing dynasty, decorated with equestrian hunting figures, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn, Hong Kong, 2002, nos.230-231.

See a carved cinnabar lacquer rectangular box and cover, with a similar motif of hunting, attributed to Zhou Zhu, Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 October 2010, lot 2213.

高林士（William Fellows Collins上尉），時任聯華銀公司（Anglo-French China Corporation Ltd）及英國培生集團（S. Pearson & Son）駐北京代理，並為英國Bluett's、John Sparks、Franck & Co 等古董商由北京提供中國古董及藝術品。其後擢升至上校，並被授予傑出服務勳章。有關高林士的具體信息，參見R.Davids與D.Jellinek著，《Provenance》，牛津，2011年，頁124。

以「狩獵圖」為主題紋飾的漆盌十分少見。明朝雖以武力建國，但至明中期，顯著尚武氣質的王朝已逐漸讓位給文人官僚集團；明武宗正德皇帝對田獵騎射的熱情則被文人集團視為荒唐；見D.M.Robinson著，《Martial Spectacles of the Ming Court》，麻省，2013年，頁214-220。北京故宮博物院藏兩例清早期紫檀百寶嵌狩獵圖盒，收錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：竹木牙角雕刻》，香港，2002年，編號230-231，騎手頭戴番帽，手執長矛的造型可與本例比對。

參考一例十六/十七世紀剔紅狩獵圖紋蓋盒，售於香港蘇富比，2010年10月7日，拍品編號2213。