Page 22 - Nov 28 Chinese Art Hong Kong

The Qianlong Emperor is known to have had many of the prized 乾隆皇帝好古敏求，對前朝古物之研究及鑑賞為後朝帝王所不及。乾
antiques in his collection inscribed with suitable Imperial inscriptions 隆在位時，曾親自考訂文物，投入大量人力、物力、建置清宮典藏。
and poems composed by himself on a wide variety of medias including 根據《內務府造辦處各作成做活計清檔》中的記載，可知乾隆皇帝經
paintings, ceramics and jade, referring to a wide range of subjects. 常指定在宮廷所藏陶瓷、玉器以及書畫上刻御題詩。傳世所見乾隆御
There is no doubt that the emperor deemed the objects worthy of his 題詩，內容包羅萬象，但刻在器物上的詩詞通常以吟詠器物或闡述為
attention to be elevated by his personal admiration; see for example 君之道為目的，這些詩詞不僅可以當作是御覽記號，同時透過對詩內
a Guan incense burner, Southern Song dynasty, from the Sir Percival 涵的探討，亦能反映乾隆皇帝的鑑賞觀。以陶瓷為例，大部分是歌頌
David Collection, in the British Museum, London, with an inscription 「官窯」所作，相關之例，見大英博物館大衛德基金會有一例青釉
composed by the Qianlong Emperor in 1789, stating ‘When it was 爐，著錄於S.Pierson及A.Barnes，《A Collector’s Vision: Ceramics for
made, this vessel was deemed unfit for sale by the court official. Now the Qianlong Emperor》，倫敦，2002年，頁14。
it is a treasure of the table, hallowed by the passing of the years. What
was only of third quality in ancient times, has now become of the 此玉擺件，正面浮雕山石松蔭，樹下三羊，雕刻因勢就形，邊角處打
highest value’, published by S.Pierson and A.Barnes, A Collector’s 磨圓潤，具有典型的明代玉雕工藝特徵，並於背面御題詩形成對比。
Vision: Ceramics for the Qianlong Emperor, London, 2002, p.14. 此擺件小巧玲瓏，恰容於一掌之中，陳設賞玩皆可。此類小件玉器，
於宮中多存放於木製或漆製寶盒中，或陳列於多寶格。台北國立故宮
This elevation is further underlined by the superb well-balanced 博物院中仍存多件此類多寶格，多用於存放玉器珍玩，見《Splendors
Qianlong period calligraphy, which in the case of the present lot is of the National Palace Museum》，台北，2010年，頁118-119。
contrasted against the more rustic relief carving on the opposite side
dating to the Ming dynasty. 擺件背面所刻御題詩為乾隆帝壬辰年（1772）新春自製《開泰說》
，闡述「三陽開泰」的由來，並論述自己對「泰」的理解，認為一國
The present jade plaque, modest in size, comfortably fitting in one 之君，只有「終日乾乾」，才能達到「安而弗危」、「恆守其泰」
hand, and demonstrably Ming dynasty in its style of carving, is nearly 之境界。台北國立故宮博物院藏一件清高宗御筆開泰說並仿明宣宗開
the antithesis to the more ostentatious Qianlong period carvings. It is 泰圖，亦調同一首自製詩作為御題，見《故宮博物院藏書畫》，香
easy to imagine how it would have captured the emperor’s imagination 港，1981年，頁315。
and interest, and its suitability to be included in one of the ‘treasure’
boxes, to be taken out and admired on occasion; see for example, 「三陽開泰」詞意源出於《易經》：「正月為泰卦，三陽生於下」，
a curio box, Qianlong, illustrated in Splendors of the National Palace 取其冬去春來，陰消陽長，表示佳運即將開始，是新年吉祥的賀詞。
Museum, Taipei, 2010, pp.118-119. 「三陽」取其諧音寫生綿羊三隻。

Importantly, the same inscription is found on a painting of three sheep
attributed to the Qianlong Emperor himself, in the National Palace
Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Chinese Paintings in the Palace Museum,
Hong Kong, 1981, p.315. This painting was itself inspired by a painting
attributed to the Xuande Emperor, and it is therefore perhaps not
surprising that the Qianlong Emperor chose to have the same poem
inscribed on a Ming dynasty jade plaque suitably carved with the same
subject matter.

Although the carving of this jade appears straightforward at first
glance, deeper meanings soon emerge. The image of the sheep or
goat, yang 羊, appeared as early as the Han dynasty as a pun for
xiang 祥, meaning auspicious or lucky. By the Qing period, the image
of sheep had become heavily associated with yang 陽, meaning the
sun, and the warm, positive or masculine force in Chinese cosmology.
The sheep imagery then developed into three sheep, sanyang 三羊,
often with three boys sanyang 三陽, as a reference to the favourable
arrival of spring, since the phrase sanyang kaitai 三陽開泰, refers to
the period between the winter solstice and the New Year. This is the
period when the warm yang energy is said to emerge, as detailed in
the ancient Chinese classic Yijing (Book of Changes). These intricate
puns are therefore closely related to the late 18th century calligraphy
inscribed on the back of the plaque, which is an exegesis on the
auspicious meanings of the Book of Changes.

Image courtesy of the National Palace Museum, Taipei
台北國立故宮博物院藏
20 | BONHAMS