Page 74 - Christie's Hong Kong November 29, 2022 Chang e Wha Collection of Jades

seal face
印面

inpression
印文

2742
A JADE INSCRIBED RECTANGULAR 西漢 玉橋形鈕「美人印」方印
SEAL 來源
WESTERN HAN DYNASTY (206 BC-AD 8) 藍田山房舊藏，1991年購於香港
The rectangular seal is carved on the seal face with three
characters in seal script, mei, yin, ren, which can be read as
meiren yin, ‘seal of meiren’. 此印印文排列組合極為有趣，「美」字在右，「人」字在左，「印」字
居中，此類不依常規順序的印文結構，於漢印中偶亦見之。其中，
1æ x Ω in. (1.8 cm. x 1.5 cm.), box 「人」字又以類似鳥蟲篆線條鐫刻，形如一美女翩然起舞之姿，
極為生動。
HK$150,000-250,000 US$20,000-32,000 此印應為漢代後宮妃嬪用印，按西漢后妃品級，從高到低依次是：
皇后、昭儀、婕妤、經娥、傛華、充依、美人、良人、八子、七子、
P R O V E N AN C E 長使、少使、五宮、順常、無涓、共和、娛靈、保林、良使、夜者。在
Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1991
漢朝，宮妃的等級要比其他朝代尊貴許多，如昭儀位同丞相，婕妤
The characters on the seal face, mei, yin, ren, can be rearranged to 堪比上卿，其他妃嬪也依次都有爵位，「美人」屬於后宮中上階層。
be read as meiren yin, with the literal meaning of ‘seal of Beauty 之後歷代妃嬪制度皆有改變。
(meiren)’. Meiren actually refers to a specific rank of Imperial
Consort during the Western Han dynasty, indicating the current
seal was very likely made for a consort of a Western Han Emperor.
The character ‘ren’ in particular was artfully inscribed in a form
reminiscent of a dancing lady, furthering the possibility it was made
for a female user.

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