Page 94 - Christie's IMPORTANT CHINESE Ceramics and Works of Art may 28 2021 hk

2947 Continued

The cover of the present seal paste box is inscribed with the mark 大尺寸印泥盒，其盒體直徑逾 20 公分，遠較常見璽印盒直徑 5.5-12.5
Maoqin Dian (Hall of Merit and Diligence), which is the name of a 公分為大，其寬大扁圓盒身所盛印泥平淺，尤其利於大型璽印鈐用，為
hall within the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City constructed in 清宮懋勤殿鈐印寶璽所特製專用。
the 14th year of the Jiajing period (1535). Maoqin Dian was one of the
Emperor’s main study during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, where 懋勤殿，位於紫禁城內乾清宮西廳，為存放當朝正在使用的寶璽之場所。
they read palace memorials and appreciated calligraphy and paintings.
Thus, many of the Imperial seals were kept at Maoqin Dian for direct 始建於明嘉靖十四年 (1535)「取懋文勤武之義，故以貯典籍文房」。據
access. The three-clawed dragons on the present box suggest that it 沈初《西清筆記》卷四記載：「御用銅、玉、凍石印章，皆貯懋勤殿，
was made during the first four years of the Jiaqing period when his 有《寶藪》一冊，每遇御筆書晝發下，用寶諸臣擇印章字句合用者，位
father, the Emperor Qianlong, reigned as the Emperor Emeritus. 置左右，以令工人」。清代乾隆、嘉慶二位皇帝常在此批闖奏本、鑒賞
Six other seal paste boxes and covers of this type are known. One is 書畫。據《國朝宮史續編》嘉慶間《寶藪》一冊，所載寶璽多至九百餘
in the Palace Museum, Beijing, which still has traces of cinnabar seal 方，貯懋勤殿。因此在清代，每當內府書畫鑒定之後，都要將其交到懋
paste inside the box, included in The Complete Collection of Treasures 勤殿鈐印寶璽。同時自乾隆九年起，在懋勤殿中編修《石渠寶笈》、《天
of the Palace Museum, Small Refined Articles of the Study, Hong Kong,
2009, no. 288 (fig. 1); one sold at Sotheby’s New York, 23 October, 祿琳琅》、《秘殿珠林》、《西清古鑒》等書。尤其嘉慶即皇帝位後，《秘
1976, lot 322, then sold at Poly Beijing, 6 December 2011, lot 4983; one 殿珠林》、《石渠寶笈》三編的編纂工作均在懋勤殿完成，或即本品製
sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 13 December 1977, lot 539; one sold at 作之緣起。印泥盒所飾龍紋三爪，與盒底「大清嘉慶年製」款識相配，
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 November 1982, lot 163; one sold at Christie’s 表明系嘉慶四年之前，乾隆皇帝身為太上皇訓政時期，為嘉慶皇帝御用
Hong Kong, 13 January 1987, lot 519; one from the collection of Abigail 而製。
Adams, sold at Christie’s New York, 29 March 2006, lot 445, now in the
Studio of Measure, exhibited in No Doubts, Christie’s Shanghai, 2014, 此一品種目前已知者計七件。除本品外，另外六件為：清宮舊藏一件，
see Catalogue no. 35; and the pair to the present box, sold at Sotheby’s 其盒內仍存有故時硃砂印泥，見故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集《文玩》，
New York, 4 June, 1985, lot 77.
香港，2009 年，圖版 288 號（圖一）；暫得樓舊藏一件，與本品原成對，
1985 年 6 月 4 日於紐約蘇富比拍賣，拍品 77 號；紐約蘇富比 1976 年 10
月23日第322號拍品，後於2011年12月6日北京保利拍賣，拍品4983號；
香港蘇富比 1977 年 12 月 13 日第 539 號拍品；香港蘇富比 1982 年 11 月
8 日第 163 號拍品；香港佳士得 1987 年 1 月 13 日第 519 號拍品；Abigail
Adams 舊藏，紐約佳士得 2006 年 3 月 29 日第 445 號拍品，現藏衡齋，
2014 年曾於上海佳士得《不惑》展覽展出，見展覽圖錄圖版 35 號。

fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
圖一 北京故宮博物院藏品

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