Premium Recommendation - A Doucai (doubled-color) case with the reign mark of "Made in the Chenghua Period of the Ming Dynasty"

*本次藏品：大明成化年制款斗彩事盒*

典藏尺寸：直径：110.5mm高：46mm

在我国古代陶瓷艺术的长河中，明代成化时期的斗彩瓷器堪称璀璨明珠，以其细腻的工艺、典雅的造型和独特的艺术风格，深受历代藏家与学者推崇。其中，大明成化年制款斗彩盖盒，更是凭借自身的工艺价值、历史内涵与艺术魅力，成为研究明代宫廷用瓷、陶瓷工艺传承演变，以及审美文化的关键标本，承载着数百年前的文化记忆与匠人的卓越智慧。

明代成化年间（1465 - 1487 年 ），社会相对稳定，经济繁荣，文化艺术呈现出多元发展的态势。宫廷对于瓷器等工艺品的需求，推动了制瓷业的精进。景德镇作为全国瓷业中心，在成化时期，凭借优质的瓷土、成熟的制瓷技术，以及宫廷严格的监造制度，为斗彩瓷器的诞生提供了沃土。

斗彩工艺并非一蹴而就，它是在明代前期青花彩绘基础上发展而来。宣德时期，青花五彩已初现端倪，而成化斗彩则将釉下青花与釉上彩完美结合，形成独特的 “斗彩” 。其先以青花勾勒图案轮廓，再于釉上填绘多种色彩，使画面兼具青花的幽靓与彩料的艳丽，开启了彩瓷发展的新境界。

In the long history of ancient Chinese ceramic art, the Doucai (doubled-color) porcelains of the Chenghua period in the Ming Dynasty are regarded as dazzling pearls, highly esteemed by collectors and scholars of all dynasties for their exquisite craftsmanship, elegant shapes, and unique artistic styles. Among them, the Doucai covered case with the reign mark "Made in the Chenghua Period of the Ming Dynasty" has become a key specimen for studying imperial porcelain of the Ming Dynasty, the inheritance and evolution of ceramic craftsmanship, and aesthetic culture, by virtue of its own craftsmanship value, historical connotations, and artistic charm. It carries the cultural memories of hundreds of years ago and the exceptional wisdom of artisans.

During the Chenghua reign (1465 - 1487) of the Ming Dynasty, the society was relatively stable, the economy was prosperous, and culture and art showed a trend of diversified development. The imperial court's demand for handicrafts such as porcelain promoted the advancement of the porcelain industry. As the national porcelain center, Jingdezhen in the Chenghua period provided a fertile ground for the birth of Doucai porcelains, relying on high-quality porcelain clay, mature porcelain-making techniques, and the strict supervision system of the imperial court.

The Doucai craftsmanship did not come into being overnight. It evolved from the blue-and-white painting in the early Ming Dynasty. In the Xuande period, blue-and-white multicolored porcelain had already emerged, while Chenghua Doucai perfectly combined underglaze blue-and-white with overglaze colors, forming the unique "Doucai". It first uses blue-and-white to outline the pattern, and then fills in various colors on the glaze, making the picture both elegant with blue-and-white and gorgeous with colored materials, opening up a new realm for the development of colored porcelain.

*本次藏品：大明成化年制款斗彩事盒*

典藏尺寸：直径：110.5mm高：46mm

此斗彩盖盒为圆形，由盖与盒身相扣合而成，造型规整圆润。圆形在传统器物造型中，象征圆满、和谐，契合中国传统文化审美。盖面微隆，线条流畅，盒身与盖的比例协调，既便于实用（可用于盛放文房雅玩、香料等 ），又具视觉上的端庄美感，体现了成化瓷器造型追求简约、秀雅的风格特征。

盖盒上的青花部分，以优质青料绘制。成化时期所用青料为平等青（又称陂塘青 ），其色泽淡雅柔和，不同于宣德青花的浓艳。工匠以青花细致勾勒出花卉、枝叶、器物边饰等图案的轮廓线，线条纤细秀丽，笔意灵动，为釉上彩的填绘奠定基础，恰似中国画中的 “白描” ，勾勒出画面的骨架。

釉上彩运用了红、黄、绿、蓝等多种色彩。彩料研磨精细，填绘时遵循青花轮廓，色彩搭配和谐。如盖面上的果实、花朵，红色鲜艳而不艳俗，黄色明亮且温润，绿色层次丰富，与淡雅青花相互映衬。施彩技法多样，有点彩、填彩、染彩等，使图案富有立体感与层次感，展现出成化斗彩 “彩料精、施彩细” 的工艺特点。

斗彩瓷器需经两次烧制。首先，在成型的素胎上绘制青花图案，施透明釉后，入窑以 1300℃左右高温烧成青花半成品；随后，在青花轮廓内填绘釉上彩料，再入窑以 700 - 900℃低温烘烤，使彩料与釉面融合。两次烧制对温度、气氛控制要求极高，稍有偏差便会导致彩料变色、釉面开裂等问题，而成化斗彩盖盒能做到青花与彩釉完美结合，足见当时制瓷技艺的精湛。

盖盒盖面绘制有花卉、果实等图案，可能是折枝花果纹。花卉姿态婀娜，果实饱满生动，枝叶舒展自然。在传统文化中，花果纹常蕴含吉祥寓意，如石榴多子，象征家族繁衍、人丁兴旺；桃子寓意长寿，是祈福延年的象征；花卉则增添生机与美感，整体图案传递出对美好生活的向往与祝福，契合明代宫廷及文人阶层的审美与精神诉求。

盒身与盖的边缘，饰有青花与彩釉结合的边饰图案，如缠枝花卉纹等。缠枝纹是中国传统瓷器装饰常用纹样，因枝茎缠绕不断，寓意生生不息、福寿延绵。边饰与盖面主体图案相互呼应，既起到装饰边角、丰富画面层次的作用，又强化了整体的吉祥文化内涵，体现了成化斗彩装饰 “构图严谨、寓意深远” 的特点。

盖盒底部所书 “大明成化年制” 款，为青花楷书款，字体纤细清秀，笔画规整，笔锋藏露得当，具有典型的成化官窑款识风格。成化官窑款识，在字体、布局上有严格规范，“大” 字撇捺舒展，“明” 字 “日” 部窄长，“成” 字撇画顿挫，“化” 字单人旁修长，整体体现出明代文人书法的韵味，与瓷器的典雅风格相契合。

“大明成化年制” 款是官窑身份的标识，代表着宫廷对瓷器制作的严格管控与品质认可。它不仅是鉴定瓷器年代、真伪的重要依据，更反映了成化时期皇权与陶瓷艺术的紧密关联。宫廷用瓷的款识规范，彰显了皇权的威严，同时也推动了制瓷工艺向更高水平发展，使成化斗彩成为明代官窑瓷器的杰出代表。

大明成化年制款斗彩盖盒，以其精巧的造型、精湛的斗彩工艺、蕴含吉祥寓意的装饰图案，以及代表明代官窑品质的款识，成为中国古代陶瓷艺术宝库中的瑰宝。它见证了成化时期制瓷业的辉煌，承载着数百年的文化传承与审美积淀。在当代，我们应珍视这份文化遗产，通过深入研究、科学保护与广泛传播，让其蕴含的艺术价值、历史价值持续焕发光彩，为传承弘扬中华优秀传统文化，增进文化自信与民族认同，发挥独特作用，使古老的成化斗彩艺术，在新时代继续讲述中国陶瓷的精彩故事 。

This Doucai covered case is round in shape, formed by the interlocking of the lid and the body, with a regular and smooth contour. The circular shape in traditional器物造型 (utensil design) symbolizes completeness and harmony, aligning with the aesthetic of Chinese traditional culture. The lid surface is slightly domed with smooth lines, and the proportion between the body and the lid is coordinated, making it both practical (suitable for holding scholarly items or spices) and visually dignified. This reflects the minimalist and elegant style pursued in Chenghua porcelain.

Blue-and-White Decorations

The blue-and-white part of the case is painted with high-quality cobalt ore. The Chenghua period used *Pingdeng Qing* (also known as *Potang Qing*), which features a light and soft hue, distinct from the rich tone of Xuande blue-and-white. Craftsmen meticulously outlined patterns of flowers, branches, and decorative borders with blue-and-white, using slender and agile lines—reminiscent of "white sketch" in Chinese painting—that form the skeletal framework for overglaze coloring.

Overglaze Colors

The overglaze colors incorporate red, yellow, green, blue, and other hues. The pigments, finely ground, are filled in accordance with the blue-and-white outlines, creating a harmonious color scheme. For example, the fruits and flowers on the lid showcase vivid red (without gaudiness), bright yet mellow yellow, and layered green, complementing the淡雅 (light) blue-and-white. Diverse techniques such as dot coloring, filling, and dyeing enhance the pattern's three-dimensionality and depth, embodying Chenghua Doucai's craftsmanship characteristics of "precise pigments and meticulous application."

Double-Firing Process

Doucai porcelain requires two firings:

1. First, blue-and-white patterns are painted on the raw body, glazed, and fired at ~1,300°C to form semi-finished products.

2. Then, overglaze pigments are filled within the blue-and-white outlines, followed by low-temperature firing at 700–900°C to integrate the colors with the glaze.

This double-firing demands strict control over temperature and atmosphere—any deviation may cause color distortion or glaze cracking. The perfect integration of blue-and-white and colored glazes in this case attests to the exquisite porcelain-making techniques of the era.

Decorative Patterns and Symbolism

The lid surface features patterns of flowers and fruits, likely *zhezhi huaguo* (broken-branch flower-and-fruit) motifs. The graceful flowers, plump fruits, and natural branches carry auspicious meanings in traditional culture: pomegranates symbolize family prosperity (for their many seeds), peaches represent longevity, and flowers add vitality. The overall design conveys yearnings for a good life, aligning with the aesthetic and spiritual pursuits of the Ming imperial court and literati.

The edges of the body and lid are decorated with interlocking patterns of blue-and-white and colored glazes, such as *chanzhi huahui* (twining floral scrolls). The twining motif, a classic in Chinese porcelain, symbolizes endless growth and longevity. These borders echo the main patterns, enriching the composition and reinforcing the auspicious connotations—reflecting Chenghua Doucai's characteristics of "rigorous composition and profound symbolism."

Reign Mark: "Da Ming Chenghua Nian Zhi"

The bottom of the case bears a blue-and-white regular script reign mark, with slender and neat characters that exemplify Chenghua imperial kiln style. The script follows strict norms: the character *大 (da)* has舒展 (extended) strokes, *明 (ming)* features a narrow "日" radical, *成 (cheng)* has a顿挫 (pause) in the撇 (pie) stroke, and *化 (hua)* has a修长 (slender) left radical—embodying the aesthetic of Ming literati calligraphy, in harmony with the porcelain's elegance.

This mark identifies the piece as imperial ware, representing the court's strict quality control. It serves as a key basis for dating and authentication, reflecting the close link between imperial power and ceramic art in Chenghua. The standardized marks not only彰显 (highlight) imperial authority but also drove porcelain craftsmanship to higher heights, making Chenghua Doucai an outstanding representative of Ming imperial porcelain.

Cultural Significance

The Chenghua Doucai covered case, with its exquisite shape, superb Doucai technique, auspicious decorations, and imperial reign mark, stands as a treasure in China's ancient ceramic art. It witnesses the peak of Chenghua porcelain production and carries centuries of cultural heritage and aesthetic accumulation. In the contemporary era, we should cherish this cultural legacy—through in-depth research, scientific preservation, and widespread dissemination, we can enable its artistic and historical values to continue shining, contributing to the inheritance of Chinese traditional culture, the enhancement of cultural confidence, and the telling of China's ceramic stories in the new era.

*本次藏品：大明成化年制款斗彩事盒*

典藏尺寸：直径：110.5mm高：46mm

以上藏品相关信息请与：四川尚亿拍卖有限公司联系。 

For information about the above collections, please contact: Sichuan Jun Zailai Auction Group Co.