Page 60 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art December 2015 Hong Kong

Image courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing
北京故宮博物院藏

Archaistic forms and decorative motifs were a symbolic way of 方爐仿青銅器而製，下承四足，作朝冠式耳，蓋上以黃楊木雕靈芝形
venerating moral values synonymous with antiquity, imparting the wish 鈕。爐頸部、肩部和腹部分別飾饕餮及夔龍紋，雲紋以及蟬紋一組，
to emulate these ethics, as well as reinforcing the connection and 四足上則雕蕉葉紋。方爐帶後配木座，座面刻「妙法蓮華經授學無學
continuity to ancient China. This decorative method was therefore an 人記品第九」，落款「釋南亭」，並嵌「南亭」、「曇光」篆書小印
important tool to the Qing court, to reinforce their symbolic legitimacy 兩枚。
and mandate from heaven through the emperor’s earnest passion for
antiquity and the wisdom of ancient ways. 清代宮廷藝術中，常以仿古紋飾以表示對先祖的崇拜及祭奠，而清廷
的統治者們借對先皇的祭奠以鞏固天子君權以神授的地位。此對方爐
The form of the present lot is inspired by bronze ritual food vessels, 器形端碩，其原型取自商周時期的青銅方鼎，但其形制及紋飾卻又經
fangding of the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties. While the basis 過精心改良以符合清代宮廷審美。
of the vessel shape and bands of decoration are from these archaic
bronzes, they have clearly been reinterpreted and executed to suit 紫檀木質珍貴，明代開始即為宮廷使用，後因宮廷木料匱乏，便遣使
Qing dynasty aesthetics and exhibit their sheer opulence. 者至東南亞蒐集紫檀原料存於宮中。至清代，宮中所使用的紫檀原料
皆為前朝所取。此對方爐器形碩大，用料不菲。
It is rare to find carved incense burners and covers of this type in
zitan wood. Zitan was an expensive commodity during the Qing 北京故宮博物院中藏一件形制類似的文竹蟬紋方爐，清宮舊藏，但尺
period, particularly as trees had dwindled dramatically from excessive 寸較小，時代定為清中期，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：竹木牙
lumbering activities throughout the Ming dynasty. The scarcity was 角雕刻》，香港，2002年，頁84，圖77。
compounded by the fact that these trees are slow growing and require
centuries to fully mature into usable material. As zitan is particularly
challenging to carve due to the density of the wood, the successful
intricate carved decoration of the present lot is noteworthy.

Compare a related carved bamboo veneer incense burner, of similar
shape and decoration but smaller size (24.1cm high), mid-Qing
dynasty, from the Qing Court collection, illustrated in The Complete
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory
and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, p.84, pl.77.

58 | BONHAMS