Page 124 - Fine Chinese Works of Art Bonhams Hong Kong May 2018

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A VERY RARE AVENTURINE GLASS CARVING OF ZHANG QIAN
ON A RAFT
18th/19th century
Well carved as a raft hollowed from a gnarled tree trunk, ferrying a
seated figure at the centre holding a book in one hand, leaning against
three piles of books wrapped in cloth, the glass of brilliant sparkling
brown tone, wood stand.
22.6cm (9in) long (2).

HK$150,000 - 200,000
US$19,000 - 25,000

十八/十九世紀 金星玻璃雕仙人乘槎擺件

Provenance:
A distinguished European private collection, acquired by the
grandparents of the present owner and thence by descent

來源：
顯赫歐洲私人收藏，由現藏家祖父母獲得並由其家族繼承

Aventurine glass was mainly carved as schorlaly objects in the Qing 金星玻璃在清內務府養心殿造辦處的檔案中又被稱為「溫都裡那石」
Court during the Qianlong reign. This can be seen in a number of ，最早於乾隆五年（1740年）便在宮中出現，乾隆六年，清宮造辦處
extant examples from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Classics 在西方傳教士紀文、汪執中二人的參與及知道下，正式燒製成功出了
of the Forbidden City: Scholar’s Paraphernalia, Beijing, 2009, nos.104- 自己的金星玻璃。金星玻璃上清宮玻璃製品中比較珍貴、製作數量較
105, 196, and 238; and in E.S.Rawski and J.Rawson, eds., China: The 為稀少的一個品種，大部分為文房用品和陳設用品，見《故宮經典：
Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, no.299. 文房清供》，北京，2009年，編號104-105及238，以及E.S.Rawski
及J.Rawson著，《China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795》，倫
The present lot is exceptionally rare and no other similar example 敦，2005年，圖299。
would appear to have been published. It displays the playfulness of
Qing dynasty Imperial craftsmanship, of imitating one material using 以金星玻璃製仙人乘槎之題材的例子，目前未見其他地方有所著錄，更
another. In the present lot this is remarkably done twice, firstly the 顯本件作品之難得。金星玻璃利用銅在玻璃中溶解度小的特性，在一定
aventurine glass imitates quartz, and secondly in its brown tone, the 溫度下形成結晶顆粒呈現出金屬光點的效果，猶如是對犀角雕刻顏色的
material imitates rhinoceros horn. This was done with characteristic 模仿但又予以創新，這也正好與清宮藝術中偏好使用不同材料對另一材
Qing opulence, adding a sparkle to the material. 料模仿的藝術觀相契合。

The illusion to rhinoceros horn draws its inspiration from rhinoceros 此類仙人乘槎的題材常見於犀角雕刻作品上，如台北故宮博物院藏一
horn pouring vessels of the 17th and 18th century, carved with the 例，見《匠心與仙工：明清雕刻展》，台北，2011年，圖30。另見北
figure of the Han dynasty Imperial envoy and official, Zhang Qian; for 京故宮博物院藏同樣題材之犀角雕，見《故宮博物院珍藏文物珍品全
rhinoceros horn examples in the Imperial collections: see one from the 集：竹木牙角雕刻》，香港，2002年，圖118-120。此類題材也在元代
National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the exhibition Jiangxin 朱碧山所製的銀槎杯上已有呈現，見《Chinese Art Under the Mongols:
yu xiangong. Ming Qing diaoke zhan (Uncanny Ingenuity and Celestial The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)》，克利夫蘭，1968年，圖37。
Feats: The Carvings of Ming and Qing Dynasties), Taipei, 2011,
no.30; and three further rhinoceros horn examples, from the Qing
Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures
of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn
Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, nos.118-120. These in turn, may have
been inspired by the well-known silver example, formerly in the
collection of Lady David, inscribed with a poem and artist’s seal Bishan
denoting Zhu Bishan, a silversmith active during the 14th century,
illustrated in Chinese Art Under the Mongols: The Yuan Dynasty (1279-
1368), Cleveland, 1968, no.37.

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