Page 102 - Bonhams Hong K June 2016

The Qing Court followed Confucian ideals as set out in ancient 儒家思想尊崇禮樂制度，以音律為戒，彰顯社會及政治倫理。清代制
Chinese classics such as the Book of Rites, Zhou Li, which 定律法，與音律之律相同，清宮沿襲舊制，但凡宮廷儀式、饗神祭
advocated that rituals should commence with music. Court protocol 孔、宗廟祭祀、宴饗節慶，皆奏禮樂。通過撞擊編鐘、鳴響相應韻
required that certain musical instruments, including a set of sixteen 調，照明天子之威儀，有關清宮演奏禮樂之勝景，可見郎世寧與丁
gilt-bronze bells, bianzhong, be used during state rituals (particularly 觀鵬約1755年所繪「萬樹園賜宴圖」，著錄於C.Ho及B.Bronson，
in the Temple of Heaven and Temple of Agriculture), Court 《Splendors of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor
assemblies, formal banquets and processions of the Imperial Guard. Qianlong》，芝加哥，2004年，頁92-93，編號101。
The gilt-bronze ritual bells, bianzhong, were therefore an essential
part of the Qing Court ceremonies. For an example of the use of 此類編鐘之原型，可見1978年湖北隨縣曾侯乙墓出土的一套六十四枚
the bells, see a painting by the Court painter Giuseppe Casiglione, 戰國編鐘，著錄於L.von Falkenhausen，《Suspended Music: Chime
circa 1755, titled 'Imperial Banquet in Wanshu [Ten Thousand Trees] Bells in the Culture of Bronze Age China》，加利福尼亞，1993年，頁
Garden', illustrated by C.Ho and B.Bronson, Splendors of China's 6，圖1。戰國以後，各朝代的宮廷編鐘通常為十六枚，應十二本律及
Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, Chicago, 四倍律，陰陽各八。此御製銅鎏金編鐘本為一虞十六枚編鐘其中之一
2004, pp.92-93, no.101. 枚。至康熙時仍保持十六枚一虞制度，其十二律由低至高依次是：黃
鐘、大呂、太簇、夾鐘、姑洗、仲呂、蕤賓、林鐘、夷則、南呂、無
The present lot would have been part of a graduated set of sixteen 射、應鐘。康熙年間，用四個倍率（低音）取代之前沿用的四個清聲
ritual bells, suspended on sturdy wooden frames in two tiers of eight, （高音），分別為：倍夷則、倍南呂、倍無射、倍應鐘，並統一編鐘
each cast in varied thickness to provide a range of twelve musical 大小，以鐘壁薄厚來調音。
tones, shierlu (十二律), with four additional repeated notes in lower
octaves. These varying tones are cast on the reverse panels of each 此鐘正反面分別鑄八卦紋一組，橫向以鼓釘間隔，前後間以夔龍紋，
bell in the following sequence: huangzhong (黃鐘), dalü (大呂), taicu 鐘下方有八個「音乳」，作打擊之用。鐘身鑄蒲牢形鈕，蒲牢為傳說
(太簇), jiazhong (夾鐘), guxi (姑洗), zhonglü (仲呂), ruibin (蕤賓), 中龍生九子之一，受擊就大聲吼叫，因此多用於作編鐘之獸鈕。此件
linzhong (林鐘), yize (夷則), nanlü (南呂) (as on the present lot), 編鐘之蒲牢鑄造精美，五官及鱗片極為細緻，格外傳神。
wuyi (無射), and yingzhong (應鐘). The nanlü tone corresponds
to the musical scale of major sixth or the note 'A'. 康熙年間，宮廷曾為北京先農壇祭祀典禮鑄造過四套編鐘，其中兩套
於康熙五十二年鑄造，另外兩套則與康熙五十四年鑄造，而此編鐘則
The heavily-cast bell, comprising the Eight Trigrams around the 為其中一件。參看一組清康熙五十四年製八卦紋「蕤賓」編鐘以及
exterior, is inspired in form by archaic bells of the Western Zhou 「應鐘」編鐘，除音律不同外，其紋飾與此編鐘一致，後售於香港佳
dynasty (1100-771 BC ), evoking antiquity and continuity. For an 士得，2009年12月1日，拍品1942；另見紐約蘇富比售出一例，同樣
example of archaic prototypes excavated from the tomb of the 為康熙五十四年製，音律為「姑洗」，2012年3月20日，拍品2012；
Marquis Zeng, in the Hubei Provincial Museum, see 香港佳士得亦售出一例同時間鑄造之「無射」編鐘，2012年11月28
L.von Falkenhausen, Suspended Music: Chime Bells in the 日，拍品2253。
Culture of Bronze Age China, California, 1993, p.6, fig.1.

The double-headed dragon handle surmounting the bell is known as
pulao (蒲牢), which according to Chinese legend is one of the nine
sons of the dragon. Pulao first appeared in Chinese literature during
the Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty scholar Li Shan (630-689) wrote
'there is a whale in the sea and a creature called pulao at the shores.
Pulao is always afraid of the whale, so whenever the whale attacks,
pulao will roar loudly.' The form of the bell therefore incorporates the
legend as an additional mythical layer, whereby the impact of the
striker – the whale – with the bell - pulao - would result in the dragon
producing it loud ringing roar.

Four sets of bells of this heavily-cast form appear to have been
produced during the Kangxi period for the Temple of Agriculture in
Beijing: two sets cast in the 52nd year (1713) and two sets in the
54th year (1715). Compare a pair of similar bianzhong, dated to
1715 bearing the tones of ruibin (蕤賓) and yingzhong (應鐘) which
was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2009, lot 1942 ; see
also a similar bianzhong, dated to 1715, cast with a guxi (姑洗) tone,
which was sold at Sotheby's New York on 20 March 2012, lot 2012;
another also dated to the same year but with the tone of wuyi (無射),
was sold at Christie's Hong Kong on 28 November 2012, lot 2253.

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