Page 48 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Nov 2014 Hong Kong

Prince Yong Rong
Prince Yong Rong 永瑢 (1743-1790) was the sixth son of the
Qianlong emperor. Therefore the seal 皇六子私印 ‘Huang Liuzi Si
Yin’ (Personal seal of the Sixth Son of the Emperor) can only be
attributed to him. Furthermore, Yong Rong who is known for his work
as a general editor of the siku quanshu and for his calligraphy in the
manuscript 二十一種救度佛母贊 ‘Twenty-One Hymns to the Rescuer
Mother of Buddhas’, was also known for his works of calligraphy
and paintings. In the twenty-fourth year of the Qialong period
(corresponding to 1760) he was made a Beile (Marquis) and heir to
Prince Yun Xi. In the thirty-fourth year (1770) he became Zhi Junwang
(Duke of Zhi) and was elevated to the title of Prince Jin in the fifty-
fourth year (1790).

Similarly to the present cloisonné enamelled couplet, Yong Rong
inscribed and sealed his paintings with the title ‘Huang Liuzi’ (Sixth
Son of the Emperor); see for example twelve album leaves sold at
Christie’s Hong Kong on 31 May 2011, lot 2565.

The magnificent cloisonné couplet almost certainly would have been
a special personal commission by Prince Yong Rong, combining
his love of poetry, calligraphy and the zenith of cloisonné enamel
production for the imperial court during the Qianlong period. It is
very possible that the imperial couplet was made as a magnificent
gift from Yong Rong to his father the Qianlong emperor on a special
celebratory occasion such as an imperial birthday.

The Poetic Couplet The couplet on the cloisonné enamel panels differs from the original
The couplet reads and literally translates as: poem in ‘Water flows under the bridge that is so beautiful for
painting, the spring breeze that is warm for versification.’ resulting
流水垂揚宜畫取 in the meaning of the poem possibly re-interpreted as ‘Water flows
暖風晴日有詩無 under the weeping willow that is beautiful for painting, the sunny
breeze that is warm for versification’. As Yong Rong was known for
Water flows under the weeping willow that is beautiful for painting, his love of poetry it is not surprising that he took the liberty of altering
The sunny breeze that is warm for versification. the poem.

Planting Ten Thousand Plantain Trees The freedom and motion of the brushstrokes rendered in black
enamel framed by gilt copper wire is a triumph of skill and
It is derived from a poem named ‘Yue Jun Yong’ 約君用’, written by craftsmanship, demonstrating the utmost ability of the cloisonné
the Southern Song dynasty poet Fang Yue 方岳 (1199-1262), with ateliers reaching its peak during the Qianlong period. It is also
minor alterations. representative of the literati taste in its imperial form. It is interesting
to compare three other pairs of cloisonné enamel and applied
The Southern Song poem reads and literally translates as: gilt bronze couplets, Qianlong, illustrated in The Prime Cultural
Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum: The
十日春寒挾雨俱，新晴物色總歡娛。 Enamel Volume, 2007, pp.240-242, pl.17-19: all three are poetic
花曾識面若含笑，鳥不知名時自呼。 couplets with poems by Cao Wenzhi and Xie Yong; the characters
流水短橋宜畫取，暖風遲日有詩無。 are reserved on wan diaper ground and floral sprays ground; all
儻來須蠟登山屐，村北村南路欲蕪。 characters and seal marks are separately applied. This different
technique is bolder in visual impact at the expense of the literati
After ten days of chilly spring with shower, subtlety of the black enamelled characters, which are closer in nature
sceneries become always lively. to original poetic format rendered in black ink. It is also very likely that
The flower blossoms as if an acquaintance smiles, the technique of forming the characters in wires and infilled enamel
the bird sings as if it calls my name. would have posed a far more complex process in comparison to
Water flows under the bridge that is so beautiful for painting, separately made and applied characters as in the other examples.
the spring breeze that is warm for versification. This further reinforces the present lot as an outstanding example.
All of a sudden I put on my rain shoes,
crossing north to the south of the village from roads overgrown with
weeds.

46 | Bonhams