Page 26 - Imperial Sale Chinese Works of Art June 1 2016 HK

The ‘dragon’ seal is carved in ‘surface-relief ’ with two dragons on the 「皇六子和碩恭親王」印，薄意雕作雙龍，左下角留皮
top; the lower left is carved in relief with the characters Cangmen. 作朱文「滄門」二字。二印相剖開之一面，雕明初王伯
Incised on the cleft side is a seven-character stanza followed by a 煇七言詩一首：「東風簾卷小紅樓，三月梨花喚錦鳩。
signature, Lin Ji (1660-1722), dated 11th day of the ninth month of 曾記玉人將鳳管，隔花低按小梁州。已亥重九後二日 鹿
yihai year, corresponding to 1719. The poem was composed by an 原林佶」。而印文規矩方正，刻白文，多用切刀，鏟底較
early Ming poet Wang Boyun (dates unknown) and can be translated: 深，刀痕明顯。「恭」字因石皮略陷一角；印文鐫刻折角
‘The east wind flutters the curtain of the red chamber; the spring 處不接刀，有大刀闊斧，一氣呵成之勢。而其整體印文，
pear blossoms beckon the golden pigeons. Once a jade beauty held 不見矯揉造作，又不失端莊典雅。
a phoenix flute, hidden by flowers, quietly played Xiaoliangzhou.’ The
seal face inscription is formal and angular, carved in intaglio using 「御賜為國藩輔」印，薄意雕雙鳳，左下亦有朱文帶皮
short ‘chop cuts’ 切刀 with deep indentations, leaving prominent knife 「滄門」款。印側亦刻明初袁忠徹五言詩一首：「夕雲
marks. The character gong is missing the upper right due to the canted 斂 餘 暉，稍 稍 歸鳥 集。清磐 林 際浮，樵歌 峰外急。懷 人
corner. There are no join marks at the turning points of the strokes, 南斗邊，露下銀漢濕。瑤草春復生，深山共誰拾。紫微
giving the impression of continuous knife work.The inscription style 內史」。印面琢刻繁複：四周作朱文雙螭中拱護「御賜」
is not affected or laboured, but classic and elegant. 二字，中間四方刻白文「為國藩輔」四字，篆刻手法與
上一印同出一轍。而這樣仿漢銅印，印文側琢雙螭紋用
The phoenix seal is carved in ‘surface-relief ’ depicting two phoenixes; 「御賜」等 字 樣，是 康、雍以來 宗室大臣，以 示恩寵 有
the lower left corner also bears the signature Cangmen.The cleft side 加，而特 別喜愛 的 一種 印 文 方 式，就 連 乾 隆 帝 的常用
is incised with a five-character stanza, followed by a signature, Ziwei 印，不止一方使用雙螭紋。
Neishi. The poem is composed by another early Ming scholar Yuan
Zhongche (1377-1459) and can be translated: ‘The evening clouds 這琢鈕的「滄門」為福建閩中巧作董漢禹，字滄門。據
subdue the residual sunlight; on tree tops the returning birds gather. 記載其精治硯，工篆刻，還善寫松竹，與魏汝奮、楊玉璿
Clear sounds of chimes reverberate in the woods; woodcutters’ songs 齊名。林佶，字吉人，號鹿原，別號紫微內史、侗弟。康
echo beyond the mountain peaks. Remembering the person by the 熙五十一年進士，官中書舍人。工于詩文，通書法，精於
Southern Dipper, the Milkyway is wet from the descending dew.The 小楷和篆隸書，《清史列傳》有傳記。他家藏極富，藏書
beautiful flowers have returned in spring, but who to pick them with, 樓名「樸學齋」，多孤本和珍善之本。林佶還有一位家學
deep inside the mountains?’The seal face has a complex composition. 顯赫，且為「硯癡」的名士弟子—黃任，黃任曾禮聘董滄
It is carved with two chilong dragons in relief, flanking two characters 門於其府邸中製硯多年，在其《秋江集》中有「董生病
yuci (Imperially bestowed) in relief above a four-character inscription 後楊生歿，誰複他山我錯攻」的詩句。（原注：余友董滄
weiguo fanfu (Guardian Vassal of the State) in intaglio. The seal 門、楊洞一，皆善製硯，兼工篆刻，客餘署中三載。今滄
carving technique is exactly the same as that on the dragon seal. The 門病且老，而洞一宿草芊矣。）而林佶於《樸學齋稿》稱
composition recalls Han bronze seals, while the use of two chilong 董滄門「善刻印、能製鈕。」由此可見這雕鈕的「滄門」、
dragons and the characters yuci is commonly seen on seals given to 擅詩的林佶，都是清康熙時期的文宿才俊，他們的作品
imperial family members from the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods 集于一對田黃石之上，實在是鮮見的。
onwards as a sign of honour and favour. Many of Qianlong emperor’s
own seals adopt this format. 而此對印裝裹，則全是清宮內府的手工，且保存十分完
好。二印立 擺 於紅 木几 上敷 黃色雙 包 綢 襯湖 藍匣座之
The ‘Cangmen’ who carved the finials of these seals refers to Dong 上，其上再覆以厚錦匣蓋，匣外表包襯明黃色四季花卉
Hanyu of Fujian province, whose style name is Cangmen. According 暗花綢，內通體包裹雙襯軟臥囊，匣蓋、底合上以後，
to records, he specialized in ink stones, seal carving as well as painting
pine and bamboo. He was a contemporary of Wei Rufen and Yang
Yuxuan, and pioneered a new carving style in the early Qing period.
Lin Ji is also known by his style name Ji Ren and sobriquets Lu Yuan,
Ziwei Neishi and Tong Di. He was awarded the Jinshi degree in
1713 for his services at court. He was a noted poet and calligrapher,
specializing in xiaokai (small regular script), seal and cleric scripts. He
had a substantial collection of rare and fine books in his library the
Puxuezhai. He also had an illustrious student Huang Ren (1683-1768),
who was known as an ‘Inkstone aficionado’. Huang Ren employed
Dong Cangmen as his personal inkstone maker for many years, and
once lamented his passing in a poem:

Dong’s illness followed by Yang’s passing; who else could tackle these
stones for me? (My friends Dong Cangmen and Yang Dongyi both
specialized in making inkstones and carving seals. They were in my
employment for three years. Now Dong is sick and old, while Dongyi
is buried among grass).

Lin Ji also praised Cangmen: ‘good at carving seals and finials’. It is
evident that both Lin Ji and Dong Cangmen were renowned talents

24