Page 50 - Nov 28 Chinese Art Hong Kong

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A RARE GUANGZHOU GILT-BRONZE PASTE-SET The very rare gilt-bronze paste-set embellished mirror is a superb
‘LES TROQUEURS’ MIRROR example of Chinese-European cultural interaction. In quality and
Qianlong, circa 1760-1770 manner of execution, it is similar to objects made in Guangdong as
The ovoid plaque finely cast and chased in shallow relief portraying tribute to the Imperial Court.; see for example a gilt-bronze mirror
an elegant Western lady with her hair delicately incised with curls and mounted with a clock, Qianlong, illustrated in Tributes from Guangdong
swirls adorned with a beaded floral headdress, wearing a beaded to the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1987, no.80; and another related gilt-
necklace suspending a diamond-shaped pendant, surrounded by bronze gem-inset mirror frame incorporating a clock, Qianlong, which
a band of shiny white and blue paste-set inlays, further encircled by was sold at Christie’s London, 14 May 2013, lot 153.
a border of strapwork and florets, surmounted by a finial of scrolling
acanthus leaves in openwork and above a leafy ornament, the mirror- The inscription on the mirror refers to the Comic Opera by the French
plate at the reverse. composer Antoine Dauvergne, first performed at the Foire Saint-
25.5cm (10in) long Laurent in Paris on 30 July 1753 and revived by the Opéra-Comique
at the Hôtel de Bourgogne on 26 February 1762. The depicted figure
HK$100,000 - 150,000 is most probably that of Margot and probably made after a print; see
US$13,000 - 19,000 a related print depicting a scene from Les troqueurs with Margot,
published by R.De Hooghe, Contes and nouvelles en vers par Mr de
La Fontaine, Amsterdam, 1732, pl.45; see also a related tortoiseshell-
清乾隆 約1760-1770年 廣東作銅鎏金嵌寶石西洋人物鏡 framed mirror painted on the reverse with a lady, early 19th century, in
the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, museum no.T.54-1939.

The story unfolds as follows:

Lubin is engaged to Margot, but he finds her a bit too flighty. His friend,
Lucas, is engaged to Fanchon, but he finds her a bit too laid-back
and languorous. The two men decide to swap partners, and inform
their fiancées what they have decided. Outraged, Margot swears
vengeance and after a whispered conversation the two women give
their consent. Lucas tells Margot that he wants to make her happy,
but when she replies that she loves spending money, abundance,
games and dancing, he begins to regret his new choice. Lubin, too,
has discovered that you can have too much of a good thing, and finds
Fanchon’s slowness an irritation. The men ask to be taken back by
their former partners, but the women refuse until the men, on their
knees, beg for pardon. Only when Lucas agrees to obey Fanchon in
all things, and Lubin agrees that Margot will be the mistress of their
household, do the women relent.

此銅鏡紋飾及主題具有明顯西洋風格，是當時中西文化交流的產物。其
嵌寶、鏨花以及錘疊等工藝及裝飾手法均與廣東地區所作同類宮廷進貢
銅鏡類似，對比一件北京故宮博物院藏清乾隆銅鎏金鐘錶鏡，著錄於《
Image after R.De Hooghe, Contes and nouvelles en vers 清代廣東貢品》，香港，1987年，編號80；另見倫敦佳士得曾售出一
par Mr de La Fontaine, Amsterdam, 1732, pl.45 件清乾隆銅鎏金嵌寶石鐘錶鏡，2013年5月14日，拍品編號153。
瑪格特像， R.De Hooghe，《Contes and nouvelles en
vers par Mr de La Fontaine》，阿姆斯特丹，1732年， 銅鏡背面的羅馬字母為法國著名作曲家、小提琴家安托萬·杜凡恩的
圖45 歌劇代表作「交換伴侶」的名稱，這部歌劇創作於1753年，內容詼
諧幽默，對法國喜歌劇的發展有著重要的影響。羅馬字下的西洋人
物應為歌劇中其中一位女主人公瑪格特，其形象應該借鑒同肖像的版
畫而作，見R.De Hooghe，《Contes and nouvelles en vers par Mr de
La Fontaine》，阿姆斯特丹，1732年，圖45；另見英國維多利亞及
阿爾伯特博物館藏一件十九世紀早期玳瑁框畫西洋人物鏡，館藏編號
T.54-1939。

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