Page 306 - Christie's, Important Chinese Works of Art, Hong Kong Dec 3 2021

The inscription reads Zhi Huanghou Bao (seal of Empress Zhi), written in both 本方玉寶印文「直皇后寶」為滿文楷體和漢文
Manchu regular script and Chinese seal script, each in two vertical lines. According 篆書，其中滿漢文各二行。據北京故宮博物院
to Guo Fuxiang of the Palace Museum, Beijing, the present seal is a posthumous 郭福祥研究可知，此方玉寶為順治九年（1652
seal that Emperor Shunzhi installed at the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the ninth 年）恭進京師太廟中的諡寶之一，亦是順治皇
year of his reign (in 1652). It is also one of the seals that he commissioned to 帝為追尊清朝開國皇帝努爾哈赤以前的四祖及
venerate the four preceding generations of ancestors before Nurhaci (1559-1626),
the founder of the Qing Dynasty. 其皇后而製作的玉寶之一。
諡寶是當朝皇帝為前代帝后進諡號時製作的寶
Shibao, or posthumous seals, were made when the ruling emperors venerated the
past emperors and empresses with posthumous titles. They were designated to be 璽，用於頌揚先帝、先后之德，專門供奉於太
offered in the Imperial Ancestral Temple to praise the virtue of the past emperors 廟之內。「直皇后」為清太祖努爾哈赤的曾祖
or empresses. Zhi Huanghou (Empress Zhi) was the posthumous title bestowed 父福滿的妻子喜塔拉氏喜塔拉氏諡號。福滿，
upon Fuman’s wife from the Hitara clan. Fuman of the Aisin Gioro clan was the 愛新覺羅氏，明朝建州左衛人。在 1522 年至
great-grandfather of Emperor Taizu Nurhaci. Fuman served as the commander 1542 年間襲父職任明朝建州左衛都督，期間率
of the Left Guard of Jian Prefecture between 1522 and 1542 after inheriting the 領族人遷居赫圖阿拉，「居屋耕食，不專射獵」，
title from his father. He led the migration of the Jian Prefecture Jurchen to Hetu 使建州女真進入農耕文明，人口增加，貿易和
Ala, where they transitioned into a sedentary society with developed agricultural 手工業發展迅速，為滿族的形成奠定了經濟基
practice. Fuman established a firm economic basis for the formation of the Manchu 礎。崇德元年（1636 年）皇太極稱帝，追尊他
state. In the first year of Emperor Hong Taiji’s reign (1636), Fuman was given 為慶王。順治五年（1647 年）福滿被追尊為直
the posthumous title of Qingwang, the King of Qing. In the fifth year of Emperor
Shunzhi’s reign (1647), Emperor Shunzhi bestowed a further title on him as Zhi 皇帝，而他的妻子喜塔拉氏則被尊為直皇后。
Huangdi, or Emperor Zhi, and his wife Hitara as Empress Zhi. 根據記錄，清太祖努爾哈赤以前的四祖及其皇
According to the historical record, there were two posthumous seals commissioned 后的諡寶分別在順治九年（1652 年）和宣統二
for each of the four emperors and empresses before Nurhaci. The first set was 年（1910 年）各製作過兩方。宣統二年（1910
made in the ninth year of Emperor Shunzhi’s reign (1652) and had finials in 年）補製的諡寶則為交龍鈕，而包含本方「直
the form of crouching dragons. The second set was made in the second year of 皇后玉寶」在內的順治九年製作的諡寶則為蹲
Emperor Xuantong’s reign (1910) and had finials in the form of entwined dragons. 龍鈕。
The present seal with finial in the style of crouching dragon, was of Empress Zhi
thus was made in the style of Emperor Shunzhi’s crouching dragons. 此件玉寶體量碩大，龍鈕的龍頭向上昂起前視，
四爪支撐身體，瘦而有神，龍身壯實，拱起成
The present seal is generously proportioned. The dragon is carved with a raised 繫綬空，尾向上翹起，紋飾雕刻較深，寶文筆
head, a robust and arched body, and a tail pointing up. Its slender body is
supported by four claws. The bold carving of the finial and the crisp inscription, 劃較粗，整體厚拙凝重，力度感極強。龍鈕紋
coupled with the heaviness of the overall form, all suggest a strong sense of power. 飾部分的線條內曾全部戧金，雖在流傳過程中
The engraved lines on the dragon-form finial were gilded, although most of 大部分都已經失去，但從其左前腿後側保留的
the gilding has been lost over the years the exception of an area on the back of 痕跡，我們依然可以想像其原貌所呈現的堂皇
the front left leg. The style of carving of the present seal is consistent with the 氣象。其鈕式特點和裝飾手法都與故宮博物院
posthumous seal of Zhaoyuanzu Huangdi (Emperor Zhaoyuanzu) in the Palace 所藏同一年製作完成的諡寶「肇祖原皇帝寶」
Museum, Beijing commissioned in the same year, see ‘Qingdai dihou yifa yu 相同，見「清代帝后諡法與故宮博物院藏清代
Gugong Bowuyuan cang Qingdai dihou yice yibao,' Palace Museum Bulletin, 1994, 帝后諡冊諡寶」，《故宮博物院院刊》，第 4 期，
vol. 4, both of these seals are important historical and art objects demonstrating the 1994 年，俱顯示出順治時期玉器的風格特點，
bold style of jade carvings from the Shunzhi period. 藝術造詣及歷史價值極高。
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