Page 225 - Christie's Important Chinese Works of Art, May 31 to June 1, 2023 Hong Kong

at spotting falsehood and duplicity. In every sense, shiyuanweiming sums up Back then, imperial seal-making was taken extremely seriously, with
the level of integrity and personal qualities required of a monarch. On the inscriptions carefully chosen and echoing the emperor’s thoughts and
other hand, xiaguanerhua is mentioned in the context of Hexagram Guan tastes, a fact that has been made abundantly clear in our effort to understand
in the Book of Changes, ‘Ablution, but not yet the offering, has been made. the Feiditing ensemble as whole. Having commissioned the ten Anlanyuan
People all look up [to the sovereign] and come to be enlightened.’ Here ensembles of palace seals to which the Feiditing set belongs, Emperor
guan means to gaze or observe, while Hexagram Guan, as explained in the Jiaqing ordered the finished works to be placed in a wooden box and
book, illustrates the principles of and approach to bringing about social put on display in Anlanyuan of Yuanmingyuan. Unfortunately, the entire
enlightenment. In order to lead by example, a ruler should bear in mind group went missing in the ensuing tumultuous years. A seal inscribed with
the idea of xiaguanerhua, which dictates the important dynamic between a xiaguanerhua now in the collection of the Palace Museum of Beijing has
monarch and his subjects. More specifically, it suggests that transformation, a yellow ribbon attached, each side showing an entry written in ink. One
admiration, allegiance and ultimately enlightenment will come about side reads, “A green jade xiaguanerhua seal submitted by Wang Jinlu on
when people witness the grandeur, devotion, majesty and solemnity the twentieth day of the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign.” The other side
with which their sovereign conducts rituals and ceremonies. In a word, states, “Inspected by artisan Zhou Wenyu at the jade workshop.” The fifth
xiaguanerhua highlights the significance of a ruler being a role model for year of the Tongzhi reign corresponds to AD 1866, which was possibly
his people in achieving enlightenment. In a sense, both shiyuanweiming when the xiaguanerhua seal was handed back into the care of the imperial
and xiaguanerhua explain why a ruler should be a beacon of integrity for storage. As a precaution, it was inspected and certified for authenticity by
all to observe and look up to, a theme well encapsulated in feidi (‘lofty an artisan working at the Palace Workshops. The material and finial of the
view’). With this knowledge, it should be easy to understand why Jiaqing xiaguanerhua seal are completely identical to the Feiditing seal to be offered
should choose to have shiyuanweiming and xiaguanerhua inscribed on the by Christie’s, suggesting that the two were carved from the same boulder
two pieces accompanying the Feiditing seal. One may even argue that the and belong in the same ensemble. The current lot features a greyish black
inscriptions of the entire ensemble make manifest Jiaqing’s ideas as to the body and a white finial in the form of a chilong. This masterful use of the
kind of moral character and governing approach a ruler should embody, natural pigments of the Hetian green jade, coupled with the meticulous
or even serve as a reminder or impetus for him to strive to serve his people and skilful rendering of the finial and inscription, is testament to the
and nation. extraordinary craftsmanship of a master carver at work.

聽取別人意見，保持清醒頭腦，善於明辨是非，不被眼前的 皇帝御用寶璽的製作是極為嚴肅的事情，印文的選取並不是
虛假所惑。「視遠惟明」正是作為一名君主自身應該具備的 隨意為之，而是皇帝本人心態和思想意識的直接反映。這從
修養和品質。「下觀而化」典出《周易》「觀」卦，「觀，盥而 對嘉慶帝的此方「飛睇亭」璽及其相關組璽的解讀中也可以
不薦，有孚顒若，下觀而化也」。觀有觀看、省察之意，《周 深切地體會到。
易》觀卦講的是社會教化的原則和方法。「下觀而化」從教
嘉慶皇帝刻製包括「飛睇亭」組璽在內的安瀾園十景宮殿組
化民眾中榜樣的作用這一角度闡發了在社會教化過程中君
璽之後，將其放在同一個木盒中，陳設在圓明園安瀾園。由
主和百姓的關係。具體而言就是百姓用以下觀上的方式，通
於歷史變故，十套安瀾園組璽在後來散逸，「飛睇亭」組璽也
過觀看帝王在舉行祭祀典禮時的盛大、虔敬、莊嚴、肅穆，從
因此失散。故宮博物院收藏有一方「下觀而化」璽，該璽栓有
而受到感化，產生景仰歸附之心，起到教化作用。這裡「下觀
一黃條，兩面分別墨書「同治五年七月卄日王進祿交「下觀
而化」強調的正是皇帝在社會教化問題上應該起到的率先
而化’一方青玉」和「卄二日玉匠周文玉認看」字樣。同治五
垂範作用。總體而言，「視遠惟明」和「下觀而化」都是從諦
年為西元1866年，筆者推測這方「下觀而化」璽在這一年又
視、觀看的視角對為君者自身修養和表率作用加以詮釋，同
被重新收回宮中，為慎重起見，故讓造辦處玉匠認看鑒定，
時也正合於「飛睇亭」中「飛睇」一詞的意涵。這就使我們很
以確保其為真品。這方「下觀而化」璽的材質、鈕雕都和佳
容易地理解了嘉慶皇帝為什麼會選擇用「視遠惟明」和「下
士得此方「飛睇亭」璽完全一致，應該是用同一塊玉料製作
觀而化」與「飛睇亭」相配刻成組璽的原因。可以說組璽的
的，可以確定二者是同一組璽中的兩方。其材質為和田青花
三方印文表達的實際上就是嘉慶帝所認為的人君道德修養
玉，印體部分灰黑色，螭龍鈕部分則為白色，利用玉的天然顏
和為政實踐的重要內容，也是嘉慶皇帝對自己臨民聽政的勉
色進行俏色設計，印鈕和印文的雕琢精細熟練，顯示出雕琢
勵和鞭策。
者較高的技藝水準。

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