Page 62 - 2020 October 8 HK Fine Classical Paintings

Amongst the many rulers during China’s extensive history,
中國歷代無數帝王中，乾隆帝可說是首屈一指之藝術
the Qianlong Emperor (1644-1911) was arguably one of the 鑑賞家。其藝術收藏之深度及廣度，令人歎為觀止，
greatest in respect to his connoisseurship and appreciation of 涵蓋古今。此品之周代玉璧，乃其珍賞之物，巧妙嵌
the nation’s art. He was a fanatic collector of masterpieces and
had amassed an art collection of enormous scope and size that 於紫檀座上，以作文房供玩之用。其嵌造、木雕之巧
included antiques as well as contemporary pieces. The present 工，乃出自清宮造辦處之頂級工藝。
Zhou dynasty (1100-256 BC) bi would have been amongst his
cherished items, expertly mounted in a beautifully fashioned 乾隆帝賞此玉璧之心得，盡現於其御製詩〈詠周玉素
zitan table screen so it can be placed on a writing desk. The 璧〉，錄於《清高宗御製詩文全集．御製詩四集》，
construction and the carving of the mounting itself represents 卷38，頁3，收錄入冊時約丙申年夏（圖一）。詩云：
workmanship of the highest quality only available from the
Imperial Palace Workshop. 「質本羊脂白，色今栗子黃。難因辨蒲谷，全不藉文
章。穆穆含元氣，英英孕葆光。原為人世玩，笑古費
The Qianlong Emperor’s thoughts on the jade bi’s are 收藏。」
expressed in his poem titled ‘A Song for a Zhou Dynasty Pure
White Jade Disc’ which is included in the Qing Gaozong yuzhi 從詩中可見，乾隆帝珍視此璧，讚其應受世人玩賞。
shiwen quanji [Anthology of imperial Qianlong poems and text], 詩文提及蒲穀，顯示其對於古玉紋飾之精通。記詩之
yuzhi shi si ji [Imperial poetry, vol. 4], vol. 38, p. 3 (Summer
1776, fig. 1). The poem may be translated as follows: 時，與屏上所刻之年份差異，雖令人不解，然根據記
載，此詩前二句，早已出現於乾隆帝元年（1736年）
Its material initially mutton fat white, 所作另一詩中，至於乾隆帝是否重用舊句，或者匠人
The colour now is chestnut flesh yellow, 刻造時紀年出錯，已無從而知。
No distinguishing any cattails or mulberries here,
For absolutely no patterns are left that can be seen.
Solemnly majestic, replete with primordial energy, 插屏玉璧不僅悅帝王之目，亦是彰顯輝煌歷史之器。
Radiantly glossy, suffused with muted light, 北京故宮博物院藏清宮廷繪畫《弘曆是一是二圖》
Originally made for a single lifetime’s enjoyment, 軸，畫中高宗閑坐書室，其左側桌上置嵌玉璧木雕鏤
It laughs at how much collectors have paid for it ever since! 空插屏，並見青銅觚、卷冊等物，圖刊於《盛世華
章》，英國皇家藝術學院，倫敦，2005-6年，編號196
The Emperor praises this bi as a work that was made for a
single lifetime’s enjoyment. The Emperor’s knowledge of the 。傳世相類古玉題乾隆御製詩紫檀插屏，主要收藏於
stone itself is also impressive and his reference to ‘cattails 台北故宮博物院，如兩件嵌有素璧之品，上題紀年乾
and mulberries’ reflects his familiarity with the shallow relief 隆三十七（1772年）及四十九年（1784年）之御製詩，
decoration frequently found on ancient jade discs. The 且有御印，刊於鄧淑蘋，《院藏新石器時代玉器圖
discrepancy between the dating of the poem and the carving 錄》，台北，1992年，圖版100。博物院另外四穀紋玉
on the screen is interesting to note. The first couplet in the 璧作例，則載於《故宮古玉圖錄》，台北，1982年，
poem already appears on a much earlier imperial poem,
one Qianlong wrote in 1736. Whether he ‘recycled’ some of 編號63、68、188、189，其中圖版68、188，記為三十
his favourite phrases or lines, or the carver dated the poem 八年（1773年），另二例則分別為三十五（1770年）及
erroneously remains a matter of debate. 四十三年（1778年）。
While jade bi mounted on table screens were made to please 亦可參見另一作例，其玉璧碩大，紀年乾隆三十
the emperor and were beautiful objects, they also served as a 五，1990年10月10日售於香港佳士得，編號1901，2007
reminder and keepsake of the glorious past. A court painting of
the Qianlong emperor seated in one of his studios surrounded 年4月8日再售於香港蘇富比，編號603。水松石山房舊
by ancient treasures, One or Two?, depicts a mounted jade bi 藏類同作例，御製詩作於乾隆三十九年（1774年），
in a wooden frame on a table with a bronze vase and albums 由香港蘇富比售出，2009年10月8日，編號1808。可相
(China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of 較之例還有一屏，御製詩紀年乾隆四十三，見《參加
Arts, London, 2005-6, cat. no. 196). Two related zitan screens 倫敦中國藝術國際展覽會出品圖說》，英國皇家藝術
with plain jade bi, engraved with poems and seals of the
Emperor, are illustrated in Teng Shu-p’ing, Neolothic Jades in 學院，倫敦，1935年，編號2776。另一例1989年11月15
the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1992, pl. 日香港蘇富比售出，編號503。香港蘇富比還售一例，
100, the stands inscribed with poems dated to 1772 and 1784, 御製詩作於約二十九年（1764年），1997年11月4日拍
respectively. 出，編號1201。
See also a screen with an exceptionally large bi with the
inscription on the outer edge dated to 1770, sold in these
rooms, 8th April 2007, lot 603; and another very similar
example, with an imperial poem dated to 1774, from the Water,
Pine and Stone Retreat collection, also sold in these rooms,
8th October 2009, lot 1808.