Page 13 - 2020 December 1 Bonhams Hong Kong, Eternal Music in Chinese art

to bring the drums to relieve me of filth!’ Princes of the Ming dynasty 音樂難寫，文字是後來者，又是二維的工具，描寫一個多維度的對象
came to blows over a good guqin and lost their title. Music is an art 往往需要借助想像。古人想像中的好音樂是什麼樣的呢？《尚書·舜
but it is also a form of power, but it is not exclusive to power. Three 典》有記載：
thousand years ago, only aristocrats above the literati and officialdom
could enjoy music. Three thousand years later, music such as the 帝曰：「夔！命汝典樂，教冑子，直而溫，寬而栗，剛而無虐，簡而
northern Shaanxi love song Baima diao (Ditty of the White Horse), can 無傲。詩言志，歌永言，聲依永，律和聲。八音克諧，無相奪倫，神
be used to praise proletarian leaders. The previous century offers an 人以和。」夔曰：「於！予擊石拊石，百獸率舞。」
interesting profile of the changes in Chinese music.
大概是西漢以後，後世對這段描寫的解讀無外乎君臣和睦，政通人和
Although the melody of the The Classic of Poetry is now lost, people 之類。不止《尚書》，十三經裡大多數關於音樂的解讀都和君主治世
today can boldly compose the music they want to accompany it. For 相關，八音克諧，不過是為了了卻君王天下事而已。人，去了哪裡？
three thousand years, the joys and sorrows of mankind have changed
little, and so have the instruments. In 1987, several seven-hole bone 八音，自然界的八種材料，先民用來製成樂器，八音之前的音樂，是
flutes made of bird feather bones were unearthed at the Jiahu site in 風聲、雨聲、山林聲，鳥獸聲。「情動於衷而形於言，言之不足，故
Wuyang, Henan Province. They can still be played despite being made 嗟歡之，嗟歡之不足，故咏歌之」，於是自然界有了人聲。人是靈巧
more than 8,000 years ago, but the performers then were most likely 的動物，一隻手，隨地而取八種材料，製造出當然不止八種樂器。於
shamans. Compared with the bamboo flute of Lot 33, Jiajing period, 是，不論是王公還是庶民，多了表達七情六慾的方式。音樂不論官方
Ming dynasty, this bone flute has many similar elements. The flute of 還是民間，高雅還是低俗，出發點都是人有所表達，而文字有不及之
8,000 years ago was probably a mystic tool for shamanistic rituals. At 處。一種基於人的藝術，以怎能割捨耳鼻舌身意、色聲香味觸法呢？
that time, a complicated piece and an absorbing performance might
have made the ancestors feel that it was an external sound from 音樂是只屬於人類的藝術，能通天地萬物鬼神，最能表現族群的差
heaven; the effect no doubt was the same as ‘stone upon stone, [and] 異，以及歷史的性格。曾侯乙墓出土的鐘磬禮樂，在孔子看來肯定是
even the hundred beasts dance.’ 「鄭聲淫，佞人殆」；唐明皇聽過古琴之後竟呼道：「速令花奴將羯
鼓來，爲我解穢！」明代的藩王為了良琴可以動干戈，可以丟爵位；
With the development of musical instruments, music has become more 曾經青樓茶館山野調子，如今也可以進音樂廳了。音樂是藝術，也是
abundant, and no single class or group can monopolise it, nor can the 權力，然而卻不為權力獨享，三千年前只有士大夫以上的貴族才能享
deserts of Central Asia and the waves of the Pacific block it. The Tang 用的編鐘，三千年後可以用來演奏陝北情歌《白馬調》，歌頌無產階
dynasty was a period when Chinese music broke away from the pre-Qin 級領袖，也是上個世紀中葉以來中國音樂的一個側影。
dynasty eight-tone system and merged with the world. The music of this
period was open and rich, and none worried about decorum or ethics 詩三百的曲調雖然遺失了，但是今人可以放心大膽地譜上自己想要的
such as Confucius. The musical instruments of the Tang dynasty finally 調子，三千年來 ，人類的喜樂悲哀，其實變化不大，使用的樂器變
established the patterns of Chinese music today. There has been little 化也不大。1987年河南舞陽賈湖遺址出土數件禽鳥羽骨製作的七孔骨
change since. Nowadays, people sometimes say that the glory of the 笛，距今八千多年仍可演奏，不過當時的演奏者極有可能是巫覡。這
Tang dynasty can be found in Japan. This is quite an unusual statement. 隻骨笛和 lot 33 嘉靖款的竹笛比起來，製作原理類似，唯有精準差別
Although the Shosoin Soso Repository, a treasure house in Nara, Japan, 而已。八千年前的笛很可能只是巫覡的法器，當時的情況，一首花哨
belonging to the Todai-ji temple, preserves a Tang dynasty pipa, flute, 繁複的曲子可能會讓懵懂的先民覺得是天外來音，只能伏地領受，效
guqin and other musical instruments, and the Japanese court also 果如同「擊石拊石，百獸率舞」。
preserved elegant music from Tang court; these instruments and music
have been in China for thousands of years, and most of them still retain 音樂隨著樂器的發展變得更加豐富，任何階層都不能獨佔，中亞的艱
the style of the Tang dynasty and are still played today. For example, the 險和太平洋的波瀾也阻擋不了。唐代是中國音樂脫離先秦八音體系，
guqin (Lots 13, 21 and 30) and the Nanyin Pipa (Lot 43); the shakuhachi 融入世界的時期。這個時期的音樂開放，豐富，沒有人像孔子那樣為
also survives in Fujian, and has been improved, and evolved into today’s 瓦釜雷鳴而杞人憂天。唐代的樂器最終也奠定了中國音樂今日的格
Nanyin Dongxiao (Lot 36). 局。此後一千年鮮有變化。今人常說盛唐在日本，這是頗為諂媚無知
的說法。正倉院雖然保存唐代的琵琶、尺八、古琴等樂器，日本宮廷
Music itself was also an artistic subject. Bronze wares probably began 也保留了雅樂，但是這些音樂和樂器在中土歷經千年，大多數仍然保
to depict scenes of playing music in the Spring and Autumn period 留著唐代風貌，今天仍在演奏。比如古琴（lots 13, 21, 30）、南音琵
and the Warring States period. After that, ceramics, jade, lacquer 琶（lot 43）；尺八也在福建地區存續，而且得到改良，演變成今天的
painting, cloisonné enamel and various other materials were decorated 南音洞簫（lot 36）。畢竟樂器是死的，人是活的。善男子善女人的色
with musical instruments and performance scenes. This adds yet 聲香味觸法，流動而善變，音樂因此長春。
another dimension to these artifacts.
音樂本身也是一種藝術題材。青銅器大概在春秋戰國開始出現描繪燕
Wishing not only to record but also to contribute to China’s ancient 飲奏樂的場面，此後瓷器、玉器、漆器、繪畫，各種物質媒介都有以
artistic musical tradition, we have invited several contemporary artists to 樂器、演奏場景作為裝飾。這種跨媒介的嘗試，讓無聲的器物多了一
create works based on the subject of music. These, though inspired by 個維度。
the past, continue to build the present and future. The so-called world
of ten directions should not have any barriers. We would especially like 我們這次卻想再增添幾個維度。中國的藝術傳統總是厚古薄今，我們
to thank Mr. Jerry Chen of Chunzai (Lots 14 and 22), Professor Bai 這次邀請了幾位當代跨界藝術家以音樂為題進行創作，多少有傳統的
Qianshen (Lot 41) and Mr. Lin Xi (Lots 44-48) and Mr. Vincent Fang 影子，卻已經是一番新天地了。所謂十方世界，不應該有任何藩籬。
(Lots 51-52), for their works exclusively created for this sale.
這本圖錄關於音樂，更關乎人，涉及物質，更涉足意識。想表達的
This catalogue is about music, but it is also about people. We wish to 很多，能寫的卻很少，用器物進入意識是個捷徑，吉光片羽，把握住
express much but can only write a little. Objects can be a shortcut to 了，便懂得。
entering consciousness, holding even a fragment of a highly treasured
relic, can lead to greater understanding. We hope that each of the 是為序。
objects will bring joy to their owners.

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