Page 24 - 2020 December 1 Bonhams Hong Kong, Eternal Music in Chinese art

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A VERY RARE IMPERIAL-INSCRIBED SILVER INCENSE DISH Xiang Dicong (1889-1969), courtesy name Zhongjian, a native of
Dated to the 7th year of the Xuande reign, corresponding to 1432 and Shuangliu, Sichuan Province, was the Director of the Tianjin Hai-Ho
of the period Conservancy Commission. He later became a lecturer at Sichuan
The square dish with cusped corners and gently tapering sides rising University and an associate researcher at the Shanghai Research
to a wide beaded flange decorated with a key-fret border, the centre Institute of Culture and History.
inscribed with an Imperial poem invoking tranquil scenes with blooming
flowers and peaceful music from a guqin, the date and a dedication to The inside cover of the box is inscribed with a description of the dish,
eunuch Wang Gui, the underside of the flange incised with a horizontal stating that the dish was once enamelled and that it was found in
mark reading Xuande nian zhai gong yu qian zhuo fang zhi, with fitted 1917. Digging was being carried out at an Agriculture and Forestry
box with inscriptions and seals of previous owners. Research Site of the Xishan Commercial Agriculture Division in Beiping
16cm (6 1/4in) wide (3). (modern day Beijing), when the tomb of eunuch Wang Gui was
discovered. The dish was found in that tomb. The inscription is dated
HKD200,000 - 300,000 to the first month of 1940, and signed Xiao Bingyan from Luling.
US$26,000 - 39,000
According to Qing dynasty records, Xiao Bingyan from Luling took part
in the Imperial examinations in 1903, obtaining a second class degree
明宣德 御製鏨刻填琺瑯花朝詞委角銀香盤 and was listed 126th. He later served as an Imperial physician for Puyi,
「宣德年齋宮御前作房製」款 the last emperor.

Provenance:
The Master of Xinjing xuan collection, circa 1917-1941 盤銀質，委角，盤沿其方棱，多有佚失，沿身鏨刻回字紋，折沿，平
A German private collection, acquired in China prior to 1949 底，盤心鏨刻楷書詩文：「御製花朝詞千秋歳融融淑景、雨止風初
Sotheby’s New York, 17 September 2013, lot 34 定、晴日麗、芳塵靜、紅粧花正發、翠黛山相映。草色迷幽徑、燕子
飛來並、宜賞翫、尋佳勝、瑤琴絃古調、彩筆題清興、林亭外、夕陽
來源： 西去移花影。宣德七年六月初八日賜太監王貴。」共計八十四字。回
尋鄔邱氏新鏡軒珍藏，約1917-1941年 字紋及字口填琥珀色琺瑯料，多剝落，口沿一側背面陰刻十字：「宣
德年齋宮御前作房製」。
德國家族收藏，於1949年前購自中國
紐約蘇富比，2013年9月17日，拍品34
此香盤頗為沉手，形制似有定制。 清代梁紹壬著《兩般秋雨盦隨筆》
The inscription is an Imperial poem, with the three characters, qian qiu 曾載曾賓谷藏宣德銅盤:「方徑三寸五分，中刻御製《錦堂春》詞云：
sui, indicating the rhythm and spacing of the poem. This is followed 映日穠花旖旎，縈風細柳輕盈。游絲十丈重門靜，金鴨午煙清。戲蜨
by a poem consisting of sixty-two characters, then the date Xuande 渾如有意，啼鶯還似多情。游人來往知多少，歌鼓散春聲。宣德七年
seventh year, sixth month, eighth day, and a dedication to eunuch 正月十五日。」見梁紹壬著，《兩般秋雨盦隨筆》，上海，1934年，
Wang Gui. The horizontal mark on the underside of the flange indicates 卷二，頁84。此銅盤有後世仿造者，雖形制和本件銀盤頗類似，但銘
that the dish was made by the Yuqianzuo, which was one of the main 文及工藝相差甚遠，見美國弗吉尼亞美術博物館藏一件十九世紀至二
十世紀銅盤可資比較，館藏編號77.64。
Imperial Workshops in charge of the production of Palace furniture and
utensils, located at the Southeast corner of the Forbidden City and
south of Huangshicheng (Imperial Archive Library). 明代御前作房為明朝宦官諸房之一，乃掌管製作皇帝御前諸物的官
坊，在皇城内東南隅，今菖蒲河終端北岸，皇史宬以南。《春明夢餘
Although objects and furniture from the Yuqianzuo were originally made 録》又有提到明代玄武門内設有内市，出售永樂果園廠髹漆，景泰御
for the emperor, some were given as Imperial gifts to eunuchs, such 前作房琺瑯等物，見清代孫承澤著，《春明夢餘錄》，《欽定四庫全
書》本，1773-1792年，卷六，頁74。
as the present lot, as indicated by the inscription. According to Sun
Chengze (1592-1676), some enamelled objects from the Yuqianzuo
could be found at the Imperial Market near the Xuanwu Gate during 王貴為宣德皇帝寵宦，宣德九年，蒙古部落主阿卜只俺歸順明廷，朱
瞻基派王貴前往安撫。
the Ming dynasty, see Chunming meng yulu (Additional Records of
Dreams at the Spring Brightness), qinding siku quanshu, 1773-1792,
vol.6, p.74. 香盤所貯錦盒蓋内有清末民初藏者尋鄔邱氏及向迪琮、蕭炳炎題跋印
鑒。

The present dish is extremely rare and the only other related example
of a square incense dish is a copper example recorded in Qing dynasty 内蓋：漳河疑塚已先穿，孔壁遺經半生傳。可笑無知王太監、妄將壞
literature, where the author described a dish as square form with 土儗橋山。新鏡主人劫後於沽肆得宣德齋宮所製銀盤，蓋太監王貴殉
a measurement of three cun and five fen, (10.6cm), also inscribed 葬物也，感成此絶拜題箧盖歸之。辛巳夏五月向迪琮題記。鈐印：向
迪琮、封寶、超園賞翫、尋鄔邱氏新鏡軒珍藏。
with an Imperial poem jing tang chun, dated Xuande seventh year,
first month, 15th day, see Liang Shaoren Liang ban qiu yu an sui bi
(Random Jottings from Autumnal Rain Studio in Two Categories), 外蓋：此盤銀質，琺瑯已剝落，正面鑿字及花紋，背面邊緣之一邊刻
Shanghai, 1934, vol.2, p.84. 字一列，文曰：宣德年齋宮御前作房製。民國六年，北平西山農商部
農林試驗場掘地發現王貴墓，得之墓中，亦稀世之珍也。民國二十九
The finely-inscribed and gilt inscription, and the delicately worked key- 年一月榖旦廬陵蕭炳炎識。鈐印：蕭炳炎印、南齋供奉、封寶、超
園、尋鄔邱氏新鏡軒珍藏。
fret around the flange on the present dish, indicate the present lot is of
a much finer quality than later reproductions. One such copy is in the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (acc.no.77.64). 向迪琮 (1889-1969），字仲堅，四川雙流人。曾任天津海河工程局局
長、四川大學教授、上海文史研究館研究員。能詩詞，在天津期間，
The underside of the removable wood cover is inscribed with a poem 曾擔任玉瀾詞社、夢碧詞社詞學導師。著有《柳溪長短句》、《柳溪
詞話》等。
followed by a statement signed by Xiang Dicong, stating that his friend,
the Master of Xinjing xuan (New Mirror Studio) bought this dish after
the recent troubles in a store in Tianjin. Finding this story interesting, 蕭炳炎，光緒二十九年（1903）進士，官至監察御史，精醫術，著
Xiang inscribed the box for him. The inscription is dated Xinsi year, fifth 《醫學講義》，曾侍奉末代皇帝溥儀。
month, corresponding to May 1941.

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