Page 92 - Fine Chinese Works of Art Bonhams Hong Kong May 2018

AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION 顯赫歐洲私人珍藏玉石寶船
OF CHINESE BOAT CARVINGS 拍品編號34 – 45
Lots 34 - 45

This unusual and comprehensive collection of Chinese sampans, sail 此組收藏不同尋常，囊括超過共六十餘件的玉石船雕，材質多樣，軟玉、
boats and rafts is exceptionally diverse in the materials from which 翡翠、水晶、青金石、瑪瑙、壽山、晶石，金星玻璃等一應俱有，每件造型
these are made, demonstrating the breadth of prized materials avail- 各異，獨具匠心，全面展示了清中期至清末期玉石雕刻藝術。
able for carving and admired by connoisseurs throughout the mid to
late Qing dynasty. These include jade, jadeite, rock crystal, lapis la- 玉石寶船最初為現藏家的祖父母蒐集，他們熱衷中國藝術，於1930至
zuli, agate, soapstone, rose quartz, aventurine glass, serpentine and 1950年代踏尋歐洲，拜訪巴黎和倫敦亞洲古董藝術商，成為倫敦John
bowenite. In its entirety the collection numbers over sixty maritime- Sparks與Sydney L. Moss，巴黎L.Wannieck、Pierre Saqué、盧芹
subject carvings, each specially chosen and collected. 齋、Michon等知名藝術商的坐上客。他們的收藏涉及古典家具、玉雕、
陶瓷，大部分藏品由倫敦邦瀚斯於2012年5月17日拍賣（拍品1-20）。其
This unique collection was formed by the grandparents of the present 餘玉石船雕將全部於2018年5月分別在倫敦及香港邦瀚斯公開拍賣。此
owner, who collected Chinese furniture, jade carvings and porcelain, 藏家對船型玉石雕刻的癡愛絕非空穴來風，整批收藏更像是藏家家族
acquired mostly from the 1930s to the 1950s, from leading London 海運生涯及對中國藝術熱愛的衍生和結晶。
and Paris dealers including in London John Sparks and Sydney L.
Moss, and in Paris L.Wannieck, Pierre Saqué, C.T. Loo, Michon and 木槎、漁船等是中國傳統藝術中的常見題材，在繪畫及工藝品中都有表
Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes. The family sold part of the col- 現，大多反映的是傲骨清風的文人風趣，亦或是百姓豐盈富足的漁樂生
lection with Bonhams in our New Bond St, London Rooms on 17 May 活。中國農耕社會中將「漁樵耕讀」比喻為四個最重要的職業，「漁樂」
2012, lots 1-20, retaining the special collection of Chinese jade and 題材在中國傳統文化中更是受到喜愛。
hardstone boats, offered now in our May 2018 sales in New Bond St
and Knightsbridge, London and Hong Kong. 香港邦瀚斯此次呈現的部分藏品中，最為難得的是一件清乾隆御製白玉
雕張騫乘槎擺件，以及一件金星玻璃雕仙人乘槎擺件。以「張騫乘槎」
The passion for collecting nautical related carvings was no coinci- 為主題的雕刻，圖案複雜，對工匠的雕刻技藝有超高的要求，因此多見
dence, as it combined the family passion for Chinese art with their 於犀角雕或其他硬度較低的材質，而玉雕之例則寥寥無幾。
occupation relating to maritime trade.
類似的玉石船型雕在北京故宮博物院中亦有收藏，如《故宮博物院文物
Chinese sampans and sail boats are a subject matter which features 珍品大系：玉器（III）》，香港，1995年，圖32，或《故宮博物院藏品大系：
prominently in a wide range of mediums from paintings to works of 玉器編8·清》，北京，2011年，圖125。
art and porcelain, often associated with river and lakeside vistas,
invoking the idyllic nature retreat the literati would aspire to retire to.
Fishermen also represent one of the ‘Four Noble Occupations’ com-
prising the Chinese four-layered traditional society (also including the
woodcutter, farmer and scholar).
An exceptional Imperial white jade carving and an aventurine glass
carving, both to be offered in Hong Kong, are rare in representing the
Han dynasty statesman, traveller and explorer Zhang Qian, shown
floating down the Yangtze river on a raft to explore the Western
Regions, Xiyu 西域, and known for later playing an integral role in es-
tablishing an east-west route opening China to the world of commer-
cial trade and major trade routes such as the renowned Silk Road.
These carvings were likely 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 Museum of Art, 1968, no.37.

Related carvings of jade sampans from the Qing Court Collection
are still extant in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, and
illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace
Museum: Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, no.32, and Compendium
of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 8 Qing Dynasty, Beijing,
2010, no.125.

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