Page 42 - The Meiji Aesthetic Christie's Hong Kong.pdf

Shrimp

With their intricate bending shell, claws and antennae, shrimp and lobster are ideal
subjects for the master jizai metalworker. The fexible body of the shrimp has the
positive meaning of things going along smoothly and the spiny carcass of the lobster
calls up samurai armor. The Japanese word for shrimp, ebi 海老, translates literally as
“old man of the sea”, suggesting longevity. In Japan, shrimp and lobster are served at
special occasions and arranged in displays celebrating the New Year.

Painters, too, have used the shrimp and lobster motifs in a variety of permutations.
In modern China, Qi Baishi’s (1863-1957) shrimp paintings are among the most
powerful of his works.

蝦

蝦及龍蝦皆弓背彎腰，觸鬚細長，為自在藝術家之理想題材。蝦俗稱彎彎
順，借指事事暢順，稱心如意。龍蝦殼質堅硬，形似武士盔甲，出身甲胄世
家之自在名匠固然得心應手，拿揑蝦身結構動作精準無誤。蝦日文為「海
老」，意謂海之老人，外型與鬚白腰彎的老翁頗為相似，引伸長壽。日本人
愛以蝦作喜慶及賀年料理，正月新年的節供料理重箱內，必有連鬚連頭的原
隻海蝦，與其他精緻食材相互輝映，祝福家人健康長壽。

蝦的形象貫通中日藝術。中國現代書畫泰斗齊白石(1863-1957年) 自幼喜歡
在河塘邊釣蝦賞蝦，早年臨摹徐渭等古代名家，及後愈見精進，最終自成一
家，中老年間繪蝦無數，「白石蝦」如雨後春筍，膾炙人口。其獨創之濡墨
蘸水法，令蝦群虛實有致，濃淡相間，不徐不疾，富透明感，耄耋之年更見
爐火純青，如入化境。他曾在畫中題字感嘆：「予年七十八，人謂只能畫
蝦，冤哉！」