Page 39 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Fine Buddhist Works of Art
P. 39

LINGERING                                                         香氳經聲 —
FRAGRANCE –
                                                                  萬曆御用監造經變圖局部鎏金銀爐
AN IMPERIAL PARCEL-GILT
SILVER CENSER FROM THE
WANLI PERIOD

fig. 1 A gold handled pot from Dingling                           fig. 2 Inscription on the underside of fig. 1
            圖一 定陵發掘金帶柄罐                                                      圖二 定陵金帶柄罐底部銘文

The enthusiasm of Empress Dowager Cisheng, mother of              有明一代的皇帝大多尊崇佛教，只有嘉靖帝篤信道教，在他一
the Wanli Emperor, for Buddhism frequently obliged her            朝期間，許多佛寺經閣荒頹失修，其中專門印經的番經廠、漢
son to present gifts and imperial edicts to the monks and         經廠兩個地方也殘破坍塌，不敷使用。隆慶皇帝時，曾命司禮
monasteries that she favoured. This very rare silver censer,      監對兩經廠進行修葺，但番經廠雖修復，漢經廠工程未竟隆慶
made in the 10th year of the Wanli reign, could be one of         便已薨逝。其貴妃，即篤信佛教的明神宗之母慈聖李太后悲慟
the gifts commissioned by her for an important temple.            不已，決心為先帝完成修廠志願。但首先必須先找地方安置藏
It is very possible that a precious object such as this was       於廠內的經書，於是萬曆五年，自己慷慨出帑儲，命司禮監太
made to commemorate an important occasion. Certainly              監馮保去西直門城外卜地建寺。馮保找到了一座唐朝古剎聚瑟
there were many reasons for commemoration in that year:           寺，認為適合，自己也捐資萬金，爾後宮中公主、妃嬪等，及
the birth of Wanli Emperor’s first son, Zhu Changluo, the         京城中王公貴族無不紛紛響應太后善舉傾囊，於是當即大興土
future Taichang Emperor; the tenth anniversary of Wanli’s         木，重新修建，於萬曆六年落成，賜名為護國萬壽寺，將舊漢
coronation; the tenth anniversary of Longqing Emperor’s           經廠經書收藏於此。爾後，萬壽寺成了皇家寺院，只供皇室頂
death; or the death of the most prominent ministers of the        禮，平常人不可出入參拜，其規模璇宮瓊宇，極其宏麗，近似
Wanli period, Zhang Juzheng, who was a close ally of the          大內，成為一間等級極為崇高的寺廟，併入內官監的管轄之下，
Emperess Dowager.The paucity of historical records means          由內官監太監張進主持寺院事務。
we can only speculate, but such an important object was
probably made for an equally important occasion.                  此件銀爐是萬曆十年（壬午），由御用監督造之皇家禮佛器，
The characters of the mark on the current censer are incised      特供奉於萬壽寺中。其製作工藝精巧異常，盡顯皇家銀作匠人
with double outlines in circular formation, and very similar      的功力。如此貴重的器物，極有可能是為了特殊原因而作。萬
to those found on two gold handled pots from the tomb             曆十年是一個值得紀念的一年，它是太子朱常洛出生之年，萬
of the Wanli Empror (fig. 1, 2), illustrated in Catalogue of      曆皇帝登基十年慶，亦是隆慶的十年冥誕，更是顧命大臣、李
Relics from the Dingling Mausoleum, vol. 2, Beijing, 2006, figs.  太后心腹張居正的逝世之年。此爐的製作是否與上面某個日子
45 and 46, pp. 70-71. The weight recorded on the current          有關 ? 因為史料的不全，我們只能臆測，但很有可能是為如此
censer, which converts to 4684.82 grams, is very close to         一個有重要意義的日子而作。其底部中心刻有十字金剛杵紋，

                                                                                                                 37
   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44