A GREEN-GLAZED POTTERY FLASK, LIAO DYNASTY
China, 907-1125. Of saddle shape with stiff, seamed edges, a short cylindrical neck, the top flap is notched and pierced with two hanging holes and applied with two small figures facing forward towards the spout, the body incised with floral motifs on each side, all under an intentionally crackled emerald-green glaze.


Provenance:
From the collection of André Dubreuil. André Dubreuil (1951-2022) was a French designer and craftsman. At the age of eighteen he moved to England to study drawing at the Inchbald School of Design, while exploring the London underground nightlife scene. After graduating, he started working for a decorating agency and designed flats with trompe l'oeil paintings. He learned the art of ironwork with Tom Dixon and Mark Brazier-Jones, and they quickly became the reference for 1980s English avant-garde design. As a collector, Dubreuil was particularly interested in metalwork, and his collection included a wide range of objects, such as 18th-century French candelabras, medieval ironwork, and contemporary metal sculptures. He was known for his eclectic taste and his ability to appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of objects from different periods and cultures. His collection was a reflection of his passion for art, as well as his interest in history and cultural heritage.

Condition:
Fine condition, commensurate with age. Old wear as expected, the spout with a small old repair, some flaking and minor losses to glaze, and firing irregularities including scattered glaze recesses. The head of one figure lost.

Weight: 1,447 g
Dimensions: Height 27 cm


Traditionally known as a pilgrim's flask
, the shape of these containers derived from leather prototypes and has retained many features of the originals such as the seam and the hanging lug. It is quite rare to find two applied figures on the flask.


Literature comparison:

Compare an example in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Charles B. Hoyt Collection, accession no. 50.1747. A flask and cover with very similar designs and also with two applied figures in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is illustrated in Hai-wai Yi-chen Chinese Art in Overseas Collections Pottery and Porcelain (II), p. 88, no. 86; another flask with two figures on the rim but slightly different decoration on the body from the Chang Foundation, Taipei, is illustrated in Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, p. 78, col. pl. 20. An example with one figure is in the Fengtian Museum, illustrated in Koyama Fujio ed., Sekai Toji Zenshu, 1961, vol. 10, p. 244, fig. 148.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20-21 March 2014, lot 2078
Price: USD 8,750 or approx.
EUR 10,500
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare olive-green glazed pottery flask and cover, Liao dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and glaze. Note the similar size (30.5 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 17 June 2003, lot 10
Price: GBP 4,541 or approx.
EUR 7,700
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very large green-glazed flask.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and glaze. Note the smaller size (24.8 cm).




遼代綠釉陶壺

中國，907-1125年。馬鞍狀，邊緣堅硬，有縫邊，圓柱形短頸，頂部有凹口並穿有兩個用於懸掛的孔，壺口之下有一道圓點修飾紋。壺兩側均陰線刻有花卉紋，綠釉至壺底，局部開片，有釉滴。


來源：
André Dubreuil收藏。André Dubreuil (1951-2022) 是一位法國設計師和工匠。十八歲時，他移居英國，在 Inchbald 設計學院學習繪畫，同時研究倫敦地下夜生活場景。畢業後，他在一家裝飾公司工作，設計帶有錯視畫的公寓。他跟隨 Tom Dixon 和 Mark Brazier-Jones 學習了鐵製品藝術，他們很快成為八十年代英國前衛設計的典範。作為一名收藏家，Dubreuil 對金屬製品特別感興趣，他的收藏品範圍廣泛，例如十八世紀的法國燭台、中世紀的鐵製品和當代金屬雕塑。他品味不拘一格，喜歡不同時期和文化藝術品的美感和工藝。他的收藏反映了他對藝術的熱情、對歷史和文化遺產的興趣。

品相：
狀況良好，有磨損，壺口有一個小修補，釉面有剝落和輕微的損失，局部釉料凹陷。壺上一個人物的腦袋丟失。

重量：1,447 克
尺寸：高 27 厘米


傳統上被稱為朝聖瓶
，這些容器原型源自皮革，保留了其許多特徵，例如接縫和吊耳。在瓶上有兩個人物是非常罕見的。


文獻比較：

比較一件相似的例子，收藏於波士頓美術館， Charles B. Hoyt收藏，館藏編號50.1747。一件相似設計的陶壺和蓋，也有兩個人物，收藏於波士頓美術館，見Hai-wai Yi-chen，《Chinese Art in Overseas Collections Pottery and Porcelain (II) 》，頁88 ，編號86。另一件也有人物的陶壺，但裝飾較不相同，來自台北鴻禧美術館，見《中國歷代陶瓷選集》，頁78 ，圖20。一件僅有一個人物的陶壺，收藏於奉天博物館，見《世界陶瓷選集》，1961年 ，卷10，〈宋遼篇〉 ，頁244 ，圖148。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2014年3月20-21日，lot 2078
價格：USD 8,750（相當於今日
EUR 10,500
）
描述：遼代綠釉皮囊壺
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和釉面。請注意相似的尺寸(30.5厘米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2003年6月17日，lot 10
價格：GBP 4,541（相當於今日
EUR 7,700
）
描述： 大型遼代綠釉陶壺
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和釉面。請注意尺寸較小(24.8厘米)。