Page 54 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Adorning The KIngs Jades

2739 fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
圖一 北京故宮博物院藏品
A VERY RARE WHITE JADE DISC, BI

HAN DYNASTY (206 BC-220 AD)

The plaque is well carved in openwork as a disc enclosing a pair of
dragons flanking the central ring, and carved with the characters
yishou,‘augmenting longevity’ between the two dragons.
3 in. (7.7 cm.) diam., box

HK$800,000-1,200,000US$110,000-160,000

PROVENANCE

Acquired in Hong Kong, 1996

The current disc is carved with the characters yishou –
augmenting longevity – a very auspicious phrase for the owner or
recipient. Nobles in the Han period were particularly interested
in immortality, and frequently engaged in alchemy in the pursuit
of long life. It is very rare to find inscribed jade and only one
other bi disc carved with the characters yishou appears to be
recorded. This other example is from the Qing court collection,
now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and illustrated in Jadeware (I),
The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum,
Hong Kong, 1995, p. 258, no. 216. (fig. 1)

漢 白玉透雕「益壽」銘龍紋璧

來源
1996 年購於香港

漢代帝王士大夫均崇尚煉丹升仙之術，故器物上的銘文多與「長
壽」、「延年」等吉祥祝願有關。漢代玉器上的銘文多見「宜子孫」，
銘「益壽」的例子卻不多，彌足珍貴。可參考一件故宮博物院藏東
漢玉出廓璧，上有「益壽」二字，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集
– 玉器（上）》，香港，1995 年，頁 258，圖版 216 號（圖一）。

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