Page 99 - Classical Chinese Ceramics Vol 2 June 2016

PROPERTY FROM THE YANQIN ZHAI COLLECTION

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AN IMPORTANT ‘HUOLIN’ CONFUCIUS- over people’s inability in recognising this virtuous animal, for it
STYLE LACQUERED QIN reflected the lack of discernment amongst rulers and also pointed
to his own lack of recognition in life. A qin composition inspired
SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY (1127-1279) by this event and titled Huo lin, is included in Shenqi mipu, an
anthology of ancient qin compositions compiled by Zhu Quan
The qin is of Confucius type, gracefully waisted along two ends of of Ming dynasty, where it is recorded to have been composed by
the body, the upper surface gently convex and inlaid with thirteen Confucius himself. The name of the current qin may reflect the
mother-of-pearl studs, hui. The underside has two rectangular similar life story of one of the previous owners, if not the original
sound holes, termed as the ‘Dragon Pool’ and the smaller as the owner of this instrument, a life punctuated by disappointment
‘Phoenix Pond’. The name of the qin is inscribed above the ‘Dragon and lack of recognition, as experienced by many of the literati in
Pool’, Huolin, ‘The capture of lin’. Above the ‘Phoenix Pond’ is ancient China.
carved a four-character seal mark, Jinshen Yuzhen, ‘The sound
of bronze and echo of jade’. The instrument strings are threaded 南宋 仲尼式「獲麐」琴
through seven tasselled tuning pegs, zhen. Each string is arranged
over the upper surface and tied to either of the two larger pegs, 來源
yanzu, ‘Wild Geese Feet’. The lacquer surfaces are suffused with fine 移雲齋
burst ice cracks interspersed with ‘snake belly’ crackles. 硯琴齋，1998年前入藏

44 ¬ in. (113.7 cm.) long 展覽
香港大學美術館，《古琴薈珍：硯琴齋宋元明清古琴展》，1998年
HK$6,000,000-8,000,000US$780,000-1,000,000 10月14日至12月5日，香港，編號12

PROVENANCE 著錄
Yiyun Zhai 《古琴薈珍：硯琴齋宋元明清古琴展》，香港，1998年，圖錄編
Yanqin Zhai, acquired prior to 1998 號12
《中國古琴民間典藏》，北京，2013年，圖錄編號70
EXHIBITED
The University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong 全長 113.7cm
Kong, Gems of Ancient Chinese Zithers: Shum’s Collection of Ancient
Qin from the Last Millenium, Hong Kong, 14 October - 5 December 有效弦長106.2cm
1998, no. 12
肩闊16.8cm
LITERATURE
Gems of Ancient Chinese Zithers: Shum’s Collection of Ancient Qin from 尾闊12.7cm
the Last Millenium, Hong Kong, 1998, p. 88, no. 12
Catalogue of Chinese Ancient Qin in Private Collections, Beijing, 2013, 仲尼式，蚌徽，黑色間栗殼色漆。琴面渾圓，琴㡳微隆，通體皆現
Cat, no. 70 蛇腹，牛毛和冰裂等斷紋。琴軫、嶽山、承露、焦尾、冠角和雁足
等，皆為紫檀木所製。 琴底頸處刻有篆書: 「獲麐」 是為琴名，龍
In Confucian philosophy the practice of rituals and music, notably 池下刻有一大方粗邊篆印: 「金聲玉振」，狀其聲也。
the playing of the qin, are inextricably linked to the pursuit of
lofty ideals of a learned scholar. The form of the present qin is of 此琴原為移雲齋之舊藏，幾經琴家輾轉割愛，或相互易琴，後歸硯
Confucius style as characterised by its austere shape with simple 琴齋。
straight sides, and differs from a type known as Fuxi which is
rounded on the side closest to the tuning pegs. The style Fuxi was 此琴比一般常見宋明琴略短，但其尺寸尤合南宋《楊祖雲琴製》之
named after the mythological king who was reputed to have made 所記。後世琴家因崇尚琴體寬長之制，此短小制式逐微。楊祖雲活
the first musical instrument from the wutong tree. In most cases 躍於1210年前後，詳見《大音大全集》、《琴書大全》。
this type of instruments was given poetic names as in this instance,
Huo lin, ‘The capture of lin’. Lin is a female qilin, which is a 此琴名「獲麐」。「麐」同「麟」，為麒麟雌獸。相傳，麒麟只於
mythical animal purported to appear only during the reign of a 太平盛世或世有聖人時方才現世。《漢書·武帝紀》謂：「元狩元
virtuous Emperor or the appearance of a Sage. According to Book 年，冬十月，行幸雍，祠五畤，獲白麟，作《白麟之歌》。」 白
of Han, the Emperor Wu (r. 141BC-87BC) once captured a white 麟降世被武帝視為祥瑞之兆，因而作歌詠嘆。《史記》曾記載，魯
lin and composed a song to commemorate the event. The name 哀公十四年春，叔孫氏於西狩捕獲一獸，以為不祥將之遺棄而死，
Huo lin, however, is associated with an event recorded in Records 孔子得知前往觀看，辨其為麟後落淚曰：「吾道窮矣」，認為麒麟
of the Grand Historian, where a mysterious beast was captured 降世卻無人知曉，實世道不興、不幸也，並藉此聯想到自身的懷才
but left to die for it was regarded as inauspicious. Confucius 不遇。傳世有《獲麟》琴曲，收錄於明朱權《神奇秘譜》，傳為孔
later identified the animal as lin, and expressed great sorrow 子所作。曲分為六段：傷時、西狩、獲麟、長嘆、幽憤、絕筆，將
事件發生的過程及孔子感嘆悲憤的情緒以音樂完整又婉轉得表達出
來。此琴名為「獲麐」，或許反映了某任琴主相仿的人生歷程。

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