Page 36 - Sotheby's Important Jades, Amber & Hardstones Oct. 3, 2018

This figure is striking for the exceptional size and vivid colour of 本品琥珀雕像碩大，色澤鮮艷，圓雕細膩精美，菩薩秀容
the amber, which has been sensitively modelled in the round to 慈祥。琥珀色濃潤似蜜，晶瑩如寶石，又與「虎魄」同
reveal the spirituality of the deity. Carved from a type of amber
known in Chinese as hupo, the present figure is distinctive for 音，聽而生畏。如此碩大的琥珀圓雕極為罕見，香港蘇富
比曾售出一件琥珀雕佛像，尺寸稍小，1989年5月17日，
its attractive translucent honey-brown tone and brilliant gem-
like quality. Amber figure carvings of this impressive size are 編號391。Kitson 舊藏一套琥珀雕八仙像，尺寸遠小於本
extremely rare; see a slightly smaller figure of Buddha sold in 品，售於倫敦蘇富比2016年10月18日，編號54。
these rooms, 17th May 1989, lot 391; and a much smaller set
of the Eight Immortals, from the Kitson collection, sold in our 乾隆時期，宮內有供奉琥珀觀音像。據《清宮陳設檔案》
London rooms, 18th October 2016, lot 54. 載，乾隆九年（1744年）四月初八，員外郎上貢一件琥珀
Carvings of Guanyin fashioned from amber are recorded to 觀音像，至三十四年（1769年）九月二十九日，被移放內
have furnished imperials halls during the Qianlong period. 廷外西路中正殿。
According to the Qinggong chenshedang [Archive of decoration
and display of the Qing court], a hupo figure of Guanyin was 十八世紀，琥珀工藝臻善，琥珀製品種類繁多，出自清宮
presented as tribute by a Ministry Councillor on the 8th day of
造辦處或蘇州作坊。天然樹脂經石化過程成為琥珀，乃稀
the 4th month of the 9th year of Qianlong (corresponding to
1744), which was then placed in the Main Hall on the Waixi road 有材料，外觀晶瑩濃艷，深得世人惜賞，更被認為有療
of the Inner Court on the 29th day of the 9th month of the 34th 愈、促進正氣及排毒等養生效用。
year of his reign (corresponding to 1769).
大慈大悲觀世音菩薩有三十三化身，以救苦渡厄、成就眾
The art of amber carving reached its zenith during the 18th
生道業為己任。本尊不二觀音立於水面，雙手交疊低垂
century, when a vast range of objects was produced at both
於前，乃佛之守護神，消災解難。觀音像以玉雕居多，
the Imperial workshops located in the Forbidden City and
select ateliers in Suzhou. A fossilised tree resin, amber was a 可參考北京故宮博物院所藏兩尊玉觀音，其一以碧玉籽料
rare and highly treasured material which appealed not only for 雕成，錄於《中國美術全集分類．中國玉器全集》，卷6
its attractive natural hues but also for the beneficial properties
：清，石家莊，1993年，圖版336；其二為青白玉，錄於
it was believed to possess, such as self-healing, transmuting
negative energy into positive, as well as being effective for 《故宮博物院文物藏品大系．玉器卷》，卷10：清，北
detoxification. 京，2011年，圖版243。
Known as the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy, Guanyin
could take as many as thirty-three forms in order aid all
sentient beings before entering Buddhahood. With her
standing on waves and her hands crossed in front of her
waist, this figure represents the deity in her Non-Duality
form, possessing the ability to protect all Buddhas from
unwholesome forces. Guanyin figures were more commonly
produced in jades, see two figures in the Palace Museum,
Beijing, the first carved from a spinach-green pebble,
illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji fenlei. Zhongguo
yuqi quanji. 6. Qing [Complete collection of Chinese arts.
Compendium of Chinese Jade, vol. 6: Qing], Shijiazhuang,
1993, pl. 336, and the other, in celadon jade, published
in Gugong bowuyuan wenwu cangpin daxi. Yuqi juan/
Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, vol.
10: Qing, Beijing, 2011, pl. 243.

34 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比