Page 277 - Christie's Hong Kong November 29, 2022 Fine Chinese Works of Art

fig. 2 Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei
圖二 國立故宮博物院藏品

that Emperor Qianlong was no stranger to the word chuilu and its example, in the Shiyishiertu (Double Portrait of Qianlong) preserved in
allusions and used it quite frequently, thus it’s only natural that it was the Palace Museum, Beijing, this seal was impressed at the beginning
used as an inscription on an imperial seal. A total of two chuilu small of the poem penned by Emperor Qianlong, corresponding to the
seals were made during Qianlong’s time, one of which is the present Qianlong chenhan yajiao (ending) seal at the end (fig. 1).
seal commissioned during the early years of his reign.
Second, it was also used a yajiao seal on Qianlong’s calligraphy and
These small seals were made in a variety of forms and materials, calligraphic colophons, either on its own or together with other small
although most were carved from soapstone. Except in special cases, seals; see the Shizilintu (Lion’s Grove Garden) album by Ming-dynasty
these multipurpose seals were generally used more frequently than painter Xu Ben in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, where this
others. More than 190 paintings and calligraphies recorded in the Shiqu seal was used as a group seal with the jishiduosuoxin seal (fig. 2).
baoji series and Midian zhulin bear the impression of the chuilu seal, and
a considerable number of them were likely impressed with this present Third, the seal was used as a qifeng (seam-riding) seal—across the seam
seal. Doubtlessly there were others not recorded in the catalogues. In between two separate pieces of paper—very common in the mounting
other words, the Qianlong Emperor impressed this seal extremely of paintings and calligraphy in the imperial collection of the Qianlong
frequently. Gathering from the above impression records, this present period. In particular, these seals can be seen in between the seams
seal had four primary uses. First, it was s used as a yinshou (frontispiece) joining the main piece and the surrounding borders in Qianlong’s
seal before Qianlong’s own calligraphy and imperial colophons. For imperial calligraphy albums. When some of the ancient calligraphy

此璽是乾隆皇帝即位初期製作的諸多小璽之一。這些小璽形 代徐賁的《獅子林圖》冊中（圖二），在景名失注一開的乾隆
式多樣，材質不同，但多為凍石。其鈐用也相對靈活多變，除 御題詩後面鈐有此璽，是和「即事多所欣」璽鈐蓋在一起的。
特殊情況外，一般使用頻率都比較高。據不完全統計，僅《 是為用作壓腳章之一例。三是作為騎縫章鈐用，這種用法在
石渠寶笈》初編、續編、三編和《秘殿珠林》收錄的作品中就 乾隆時期宮廷書畫收藏的裝裱中相當普遍。特別是乾隆的
有超過190件鈐蓋「垂露」小璽，其中有相當大一部分應該就 御筆書法小冊，往往在本幅和四周裱邊之間鈐蓋各式小璽。
是用此方「垂露」小璽鈐蓋的。如果加上已知的沒有被《石 而一些宮廷收藏的古代書畫名作，在乾隆時期宮廷重新裝裱
渠寶笈》、《秘殿珠林》著錄的鈐有此璽的作品，數量應當 後，在各部分與隔水的接縫處，或者在畫心紙絹的接縫處，
相當可觀，表明此璽的使用頻率是相當高的。通過對以上作 多鈐蓋乾隆皇帝的小璽，此方「垂露」璽也往往在其中。如臺
品鈐用狀況的分析，可以得知此璽的鈐蓋使用大致有幾種情 北故宮博物院藏清代賈全繪《八駿圖》卷中（圖三），在繪畫
況。一是作為乾隆皇帝御筆書法和題記上的引首章使用。如 本幅與後面的隔水之間的接縫處即鈐有此璽。又如 北京故
北京故宮博物院藏清人畫《是一是二圖》中（圖一），在乾隆 宮博物院藏清乾隆皇帝御筆摹唐寅《事茗圖》卷的「寄情事
御筆「養心殿偶題並書」題畫詩的前面起首部分即鈐此璽， 外」引首和前隔水之間接縫處也鈐有此璽。這種鈐蓋有騎縫
與後面的「乾隆宸翰」壓腳章構成一組，此處的「垂露」璽很 小璽的作品，通過小璽的鈐蓋將裝裱的各個部分連在一起，
明顯是作為御書作品上的引首章使用的。是為此璽用作御筆 以後一旦重裱或割裂，鈐蓋的小璽便被破壞，無法保持裝裱
引首章之一例。二是作為御筆書法和題記上的壓腳章使用， 的完整。或許這種在裱邊或絹紙接縫處鈐蓋騎縫小璽的做
或單獨或與其他小璽配合鈐用。如臺北故宮博物院收藏的明 法，更多的是出於保持乾隆宮廷原裝原裱的完整度和持久性

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