Page 169 - Sotheby's Speelman Collection Oct. 3, 2018

The present tray, with its lustrous surface, fine sharp carving 盤方形倭角，盤心隨形開光，開光內飾老子出關圖。盤心錦
and subtly round edges, demonstrates the persistent 地上雕老子騎於牛背，垂眉長鬚，身著寬袍，春風滿面，神
characteristics of carved lacquerware in the early Jiajing 態安詳；青牛趴蹄前行，童子緊隨身後，笑容可掬；二人似
period. This tray, furthermore, is an extremely rare 在淡笑風聲，形神生動；一角祥雲上飾樓閣，乃傳說中之函
embodiment of an iconography particular to the reign of 谷關。盤內、外壁黃地上雕四季花卉。底髹黑漆，正中刀刻
Jiajing. A devoted follower of Daoism, the Emperor’s pursuit of 填金「大明嘉靖年製」直款。
immortality led not only to the erection of Daoist temples but
the imperial commission of wares inspired by Daoist themes, 嘉靖朝漆器紋樣，別具特色。嘉靖帝尊崇道教，祈求長生不
for ritualistic purposes as well as those of appreciation.
Laozi, the protagonist in this instance, was the quintessential 老，建道觀，設醮壇，宮廷御製工藝品上之道教色彩成為主
example of a Daoist immortal. A tray of the same shape is 流，一為醮壇用器，亦為賞玩。本盤所飾故事，正是道教始
illustrated in Carved Lacquer in the Collection of the Palace 祖，得道成仙之典範。同類紋飾，傳世品中未見同者，惟見
Museum, Beijing, 1985, cat. no. 175; there is, however, no 同器形例藏北京故宮博物院，載於《故宮博物院藏雕漆》，
published record of any similarly decorated tray. 北京，1985年，圖版175。此器應為嘉靖朝早期作品，甚為
珍罕。
The ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi was the founder of
Daoism. His personal name usually given as Li Er, he was
claimed by the Tang emperors, themselves of the surname 老子，道家學派創始人，被唐朝帝王追認為李姓始祖。據《
Li, to also be the founder of their lineage. According to Shiji 史記》記載：老子姓李，名耳，字聃，人稱老聃，曾任周王
[Records of the Grand Historian], Li Er, also known as Lao Dan 室管理藏書史官，後隱居不仕，騎青牛西出函谷關後「莫知
(Lao or venerable being a honorific title), was the Keeper of 其所終」。 《列仙傳》曰：「後周德衰，乃乘青牛車去。
the Archives for the royal court of Zhou before venturing to 入大秦，過西關。關令尹喜待而迎之，知真人也。乃強使著
the west to live as a hermit, disappearing entirely from public 書，作《道德經》上下二卷。」此器上雕琢之場景，正是老
view ever since. The Liexian Zhuan [Biographies of Immortals] 子騎牛西行至將軍山下，此處祥雲繚繞，四季花開，一片世
recounts the story of Laozi’s arrival at the western frontier 外桃源之景象。
where he was intercepted by Yin Xi, the Guardian of the Pass
who, recognising Laozi, asked him to write down his ideas;
this produced the two volumes of Daode Jing or Scripture
of the Tao and its Virtue. Surrounded by ruyi-shaped clouds
and flowers of all seasons, this particular tray presents a
fantastical, otherworldly depiction of Laozi en route to the
Hangu Pass before the historic encounter.
Compare a Jiajing mark and period lacquer dish of similar
form, carved with a large fu character in the centre and four
dragons in cartouches encircling the cavetto, from the Qing
court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares
of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Shanghai, 2006, no. 120.
See also two lacquer dishes attributed to the 16th century,
the first carved with four lions in the centre encircled by floral
scrolls on the cavetto, in the National Museum of Scotland,
Edinburgh, illustrated in Hu Shih-chang and Jane Wilkinson,
Chinese Lacquer, Edinburgh, 1998, pl. 23; and the other,
carved with a scholar and his attendant in a landscape setting
with river, trees, pavilion and mountains, from the collection
of Edward T. Chow, sold at Christie’s London, 14th December
1983, lot 32.

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