Page 102 - Bonhams Scholars Art and Instruments Hong Kong December 2, 2021

92
A LARGE AND RARE BRONZE ‘BOYS AND DRAGON FISH’ INCENSE BURNER
16th/17th century
Of square form supported by four standing boys below dragon-fish flanges to each corner,
the sides decorated with numerous boys engaged in various leisurely pursuits in exterior
scenes, the rim with twin upright loop handles with dragons, with a later wood cover
and a soapstone finial.
41.1cm (16 1/8in.) high (2).

HKD300,000 - 400,000
US$39,000 - 51,000
十六/十七世紀 銅百子圖方爐

Provenance:
Daniel Beale (1759 - 1842), acquired in China in the 19th century
Christie’s London, 5 November 2013, lot 383

來源：
Daniel Beale（1759-1842），於十九世紀在中國獲得
倫敦佳士得，2013年11月5日，拍品編號383

‘Hundred boys’ or ‘boys at play’ has been a popular motif in Chinese decorative art since
the Song Dynasty, and especially in Imperial art since the mid Ming Dynasty, expressing the
wish for many sons, particularly noble sons who will pass the imperial examination with high
honours. Scenes usually take place in a garden, with boys playing games or practising some
activities that of adult scholars, such as playing weiqi or qin, viewing paintings or calligraphies.
The ‘hundred boys’ refers to a legend that the King of Wen of the Western Zhou Dynasty had
ninety-nine sons and one adopted son. Works of art or paintings decorated with this theme
probably were presented as a gift for weddings or to ladies.

Related themes can be found on various materials. Compare the boys with a blue and white
‘boys at play’ bowl, Chenghua, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, which is illustrated
in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Ch’eng-hua Porcelain Ware, Taipei, 2004, no.19;
compare also with the ‘hundred boys’ on a cinnabar lacquer carved screen, Ming Dynasty,
which is illustrated in the Ming and Qing Chinese Arts from the C.P.Lin Collection, Hong Kong,
2014, no.195.

銅質，方唇，折沿，沿口鑄回紋，雙立耳，上鑄浮雕雙龍戲珠及螭龍紋一對，平腹，每面飾百子圖，
眾多嬰孩嬉鬧玩耍各種遊戲，四邊角出戟，戟呈魚龍形，平底下承四足，四足鑄成童子形，童子
雙手扛爐，頭梳三角，身著背心，背心鏨刻團花及落花流水花紋，肩飄帶。

此爐腹壁所飾百子圖鏨刻精細，人物眾多，活動繁多，畫面密不透風而靈活有致。百子所玩遊戲
可考者有曲水流觴、琴棋書畫、百戲、折桂、蹴鞠、會審、釣魚、奏樂、禮佛、狀元遊街等等。此類兒
童所玩遊戲皆模仿成人，充滿成人對子嗣的美好期求。百子典故或來自於周文王生九十九子又
收雷震子為養子的故事，而後世所謂百子並非一百之數，所謂嬰戲圖多描繪數位童子，寓意子
孫昌盛而已。宋明以來尤好百子圖或嬰戲圖為飾，繪畫、雕刻無一不有。宋代蘇漢臣乃繪製嬰戲
圖的佼佼者，可參考台北故宮藏蘇漢臣繪《五瑞圖》，乃是嬰戲圖的早期傑作，見《故宮博物院所
藏（台北）中國歷代名畫集》，北京，1989年，卷1，圖版46。

類似的明代百子圖或嬰戲圖可參考台北故宮藏一件明成化青花嬰戲圖碗所繪十五子，見《成化
瓷器特展圖錄》，台北，2004年，編號19；又可參考長青館藏一件明代百子圖紅漆屏，見《長青館
藏明清瓷、玉、角、竹、畫琺瑯》，香港，2014年，編號195。此二例所繪嬰孩容貌、服飾以及所玩遊
戲和本爐頗為相類。

100 | BONHAMS