Page 25 - Bonhams Hong Kong The Skinner Moon Flasks

TABLE 1

Detailed list of inventory and statistics relating to the Qianlong seal mark and of the period
blue and white ‘Bajixiang’ moonflasks in the Qing Court collection, Palace Museum, Beijing

Name Reference no. Dimensions (cm) Original no. Current no. Original location Remarks
of pcs. of pcs.
34.5cm high; mouthrim 5.5cm
Blue and white ‘Bajixiang’ Yuzi671 diam.; foot 12.5cm x 9cm 2 2 Rear of the Studio of Fresh
moonflasks, Qianlong seal No.2112 Fragrance
mark and of the period No.125
50cm high; mouthrim 8cm diam.; 3 2 West section of the Palace of 1 pc. on long-term loan to
Blue and white ‘Bajixiang’ foot 16.5cm x 12cm
moonflasks, Qianlong seal Tranquil Longevity Guangdong Museum
mark and of the period
50cm high; mouthrim 8cm diam.; 1 West section of the Palace of 1 pc. on long-term
A blue and white ‘Bajixiang’ foot 16.5cm x 12cm Tranquil Longevity to Shenyang Palace
moonflask, Qianlong seal mark Museum
and of the period

Blue and white ‘Bajixiang’ Not referenced 50cm high; mouthrim 8cm diam.; 28 24 Not known 2 pcs. On long-term loan
moonflasks, Qianlong seal foot 16.5cm x 12cm to Chengde Summer
mark and of the period Retreat; 2 pcs. On
long-term loan to other
museum and institutions

Total 34 28

NOTES

1. The Palace Museum took seven years to complete the 4. Palace Museum Auditing Report, Palace Museum,
fifth round of stock-taking of the entire collection in 2010. Beijing, 1929, vol.3, book 3, p.9, scroll 4.
At that time, the inventory contains a total number of
1,807,558 pieces. By using these statistics as a foundation 5. Records of Display for the Studio of Fresh Fragrance,
for my work, I spent another three years between 2014 p.28, sixth month, nineteenth year of the Daoguang period
and 2016 audit the inventory list. As of 31 December 2016, (1839).
the Palace Museum announced publically that the Imperial
collection of cultural relics contained 1,862,690 pieces. 6. First Historic Archives of China, Art Museum of the Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Archives of the Qing Imperial
2. gezuo chengzuo huoji qingdang: jishi lu《各作成做活計清 Household Department, Beijing, 2005, p.798, scroll 7.
檔•記事錄》(Imperial Palace Workshops Archives: Records
on Matters), dated Yongzheng eleventh year (1733), fifteenth 7. Tongci: term used to describe a method of wrapping
day of the sixth month, ‘According to message from Imperial porcelain for transportation used by Jingdezhen
Yuanming Yuan, Secretary Chang Bao, Head of Department kilns during the Qing dynasty. Large amounts of porcelain
Samuha said, Deputy Palace Supervisor Li Ying to pass from the Imperial kilns were lined and wrapped with straw
on decree, to the porcelain kilns at Jiangxi, no need for the and then inserted into wooden containers for transportation
further production of moonflasks.’ First Historic Archives to the capital, hence known as tongci.
of China, Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Archives of the Qing Imperial Household Department, 8. Palace Museum Auditing Report, Palace Museum, 1929,
People’s Publishing House, 2005, p.776, scroll 5. vol.5, book 1, p.12, scroll 2.

3. The ‘Palace Museum Auditing Report’ was the published 9. First Historic Archives of China, Art Museum of the Chinese
inventory of contents in the Forbidden City compiled by University of Hong Kong, Archives of the Qing Imperial
Committee founded in 1924. The inventory was based on Household Department, Beijing, 2005, p.281, scroll 8.
the Thousand Character Classics, qian zi wen to identify
their locations within the Palace. Each character specifies a 10. First Historic Archives of China, Art Museum of
certain location within the Palace, for example: the character the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Archives of
li is corresponding to the location of the fifth ‘antiques room’ the Qing Imperial Household Department, Beijing, 2005,
of the Consorts Residence at the inner court of the Forbidden p.785, scroll 2.
City. By using these qian zi wen characters, one can locate
the original position of the relics in the Palace.

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