Page 24 - March 17, 2020 Imperial Jade and Cloisonne, Sotheby's, New York

Fig. 1 The inscribed poem in Qing Gaozong Yuzhi Shiwen Quanji [Anthology of Imperial Fig. 2 An inscribed jade boulder, Qing dynasty. © National Palace Museum,
Qianlong Poems and Text], vol. 3, juan 40 Taipei.
圖一 本拍品所題御製詩收錄於《清高宗御製詩文全集．御製詩三集》，卷40 圖二 清 玉高士臨泉山子 © 國立故宮博物院 台北

Inscribed with a poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-95), this 本品玉雕臨泉圖插屏，構圖巧妙，雕工精熟，
table screen is significant not only for its imperial association, but also for the 刻乾隆御製詩一首，題識「臣和珅敬書」，甚
name engraved in the complimentary close – He Shen (1750-99). 為少見，獨具價值。
The inscription can be translated as:
A hundred streams flying from beyond the clouds 詩文：
Traveling thunderously for thousands of miles and falling into the river in front 雲外飛來百道泉 湱然千丈落前川
He who watches this lofty marvel is 厜㕒觀者伊誰氏 疑是大宛北谷仙
Perhaps the celestial Beigu of Dayuan
Imperial Poem respectfully written by the Emperor’s subject He Shen
此詩由乾隆帝作於1764年，並收錄於《清
Composed by the Emperor in 1764, the poem is included in Qing Gaozong 高宗御製詩文全集．御製詩三集》，卷40，
yuzhi shiwen quanji [Anthology of Imperial Qianlong poems and texts], Yuzhi
shi san ji [Imperial poetry, vol. 3], juan 40, under the heading of Ti Hetian yu 名《題和闐玉高士臨泉》（圖一）。詩中
gaoshi linquan [Composed for the Khotan jade ‘Scholars Listening to a Flowing 提及大宛北谷仙，或為呼應美玉產地。
Spring’] (fig. 1). The Beigu of Dayuan referred in the verse is an immortal
from the western part of China, potentially alluding to the source of the jade 和珅，乾隆年間重臣，權傾朝野，曾任多
material celebrated by the Emperor.
個要職，家財萬貫，收藏金銀玉石極豐。
He Shen, arguably the favorite minister of the Emperor, was one of the most 本玉插屏相信乃由和珅下令雕製，或上奉
powerful political figures in the Qianlong reign, who held many high-ranking
posts at court. During his career, he amassed tremendous property and 乾隆帝以表忠誠。
treasures including an abundance of gold, silver, jades and pearls. The current
jade screen was most likely a commission by this man of supreme wealth, who 乾隆愛玉，眾所週知，其在位期間，玉雕
might have presented it to the Emperor as a tribute to demonstrate his loyalty.
工藝登峰造極。據宮廷檔案記載，乾隆帝
The Qianlong Emperor was a well-known jade lover. Jade craftsmanship 不時監察玉雕過程，確保成品水準上乘。
during his reign is widely regarded as its peak of development. According to
official records, he regularly inspected the jade carving process to make sure 十八世紀中期，清軍西征以擴大版圖，大
products were up to standards. With the Qing court’s expansion of territory 開新疆玉路，此後和闐玉料源源不斷。時
in western China in the mid-18th century, there was an increased supply of 宮庭內外，能工巧匠輩出，製玉工藝卓
jade material from Xinjiang province, particularly from the renowned jade-rich
region of Khotan (Hetian). Highly skilled jade artisans worked at workshops 絕，品質精良，如蘇州、揚州等地均以玉
both inside and outside of the palace, for example, in cities such as Suzhou 作聞名。
and Yangzhou, creating a wide range of jade items of unprecedented quantity.
From the hundreds of poems and essays he had written about jade, it is 乾隆詩詞及文章中多見以玉為題者，從中
possible to get a sense of the Emperor’s taste. Khotan jade, for example, 便可一窺其品味喜好。高宗珍愛和闐美
was highly prized by the Emperor who on several occasions expressed his
玉，於詩文中數度提及對其之喜愛，尤其

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