Page 248 - Christie's IMPORTANT CHINESE Ceramics and Works of Art may 28 2021 hk

3053 Continued
A pair of closely related and intact huanghuali compound cabinets 門面板裝飾華麗，高浮雕大小五爪雲龍，大龍飛躍騰雲，小龍浮游波濤，
carved with similar dragons as the principle motif, measuring 113 in. 板身滿刻卷雲，火珠，並飾雲蝠飛繞蟠桃。整體雕刻精美，充滿動感。
(287 cm.) in height, was sold at China Guardian, 20 November 2010,
lot 2105. It is mentioned that in the 1950s, a massive cabinet decorated 左右面板雕飾反向對稱，如鏡中倒影。
with dragons amidst clouds was recorded to be in the possession of the 門面板製於雍正年間，黃花梨櫃身則可能為原大四件櫃於後世改製而
Beijng Harwood Furniture Factory. It is possible the cited Beijing factory
example is the present pair of cabinets, and that it had been altered at 成。
the time due to economic circumstances and to accommodate the size
of contemporary households. 此對櫃門面板應源自大四件櫃，屬清代大型傢具，每櫃設櫃子，頂箱，
共大小四門。 如成對擺設，氣勢非凡。 由於大四件櫃體形碩大，可代
The theme of the decoration shows two dragons amongst waves. The 表身份與地位的象徵，非一般廳堂所能容身，因此多屬大富之家，或宮
upper dragon represents the emperor, while it is likely that the lower
dragon represents the crown prince, who is receiving instruction from 廷傢俱 ; 隨著社會變遷，大型傢俱較難作家居擺設，大四件櫃於上世紀
his father. Parallels can be drawn between this design and the famous 中業多被折散或改作它用。
hanging scroll on silk, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, entitled,
Spring's peaceful message, which was painted by the Italian Jesuit 王世襄先生對明清傢具得不到社會重視，曾遭改裝及毀壞賦詩慨嘆：「中
missionary artist Giuseppe Castiglione, known at the Chinese court 歲徒勞振臂呼，檀梨慘殛淚模糊，而今喜入藏家室，免作胡琴與算珠。」
as Lang Shining (illustrated in The Qianlong Emperor - Treasures from
the Forbidden City, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2002, p. 整套傳世大四件櫃的例子簡直鳳毛麟角，或只能在北京故宮博物院才能
30-31, no. 2). The painting shows a younger man bending slightly from 欣賞。 罕見的一對黃花梨大四件龍紋櫃 2010 年 11 月 20 日於中國嘉德
the waist in a gesture of respect, and receiving a floral spray from an 拍賣，拍品 2105 ( 櫃高 287 公分 )，另一大四件龍紋櫃亦於 2015 年 11
older man. The majority of scholars believe that this painting is intended 月 14 日於北京中國嘉德拍出，拍品 4241，( 此櫃極可能為中國嘉德 2010
to depict Prince Hongli (the future Qianlong emperor) receiving the
sprig of blossom from his father, the Yongzheng emperor. Certainly the 年拍品 2105 号一對大櫃中的其中一件 )。
Qianlong emperor identified himself as the young man in an inscription 據資料顯示北京硬木家俱廠舊藏一對 1950 年代從大四件櫃改裝而成的單
which he wrote on the painting in 1782, when he was 71 years old.
The painting suggest the respect of the young prince for his father, 門衣櫃，或與此拍品同出一轍。
the emperor, and possibly anticipates the transfer of the mandate of
heaven and the responsibility for the good of the empire that went with 此對櫃門板上圖案顯示象徵皇帝的五爪大龍高高在上，小龍昂首呼應。
it. Assuming that this is the correct interpretation of the decoration on 有如皇子正舉首聆聽天子教誨。 甚有教子朝天，皇權交替之意。
the cabinets, then we can speculate that these panels were once part
of a larger compound cabinet ordered by the emperor to commemorate 雲蝠蟠桃紋寓意「福壽雙全」，因此原來的大四件龍紋櫃亦有可能為雍
some special occasion, possibly a birthday celebration as suggested by 正皇朝重大節慶時特製之物。
the additional motifs of peach sprays and bats.

246