Page 40 - Bonhams Scholars Art and Instruments Hong Kong December 2, 2021

Xiangqi or Chinese chess was mentioned in historical texts dated to 1st century BC, Shuoyuan,
that the Lord Mengchang of Qi(died 279 BC) was a renowned player of xiangqi, which suggests
its emergence was probably even earlier than the Spring and Autumn period. The character
xiang, previously misunderstood as ‘elephants’, refers to ‘astronomy’, thus the movement of
the pieces representing the apparent movements of the naked-eye-visible astronomical objects
in the night sky; see related discussion by H.J.R.Murray, A History of Chess, New York, 2012,
p.122.
Xiangqi was popular among all the classes, probably because of its simpler rules and less time-
consuming than weiqi. Modern xiangqi has been forming in the Song Dynasty when scholars
started to compose weiqi records which can be found in the Shilin guangji (Vast Records of the
Matters Forest) by Chen Yuanliang (active in the 13th century).
The gilt-lacquer box has a strong influence from Japan, which was particularly popular during
the Yongzheng period. Compare the gilt-painted flower scrolls with those on related gilt-
lacquered bowl in the Palace Museum, Beijing, Yongzheng, which is illustrated in the The
Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Ware of the Qing Dynasty,
Hong Kong, 2006, pl.102. Compare also with another box and cover with similar gilt-lacquered
decoration, which is illustrated in Collections of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1974, pl.171.
Similar flower scrolls on the box and xiangqi pieces can be widely found on other works of art
in the Yongzheng period, compare the flower scrolls with a painted-enamel gilt-copper vase
with a six-neck body and winding lotus motif in the Palace Museum, Beijing, which is illustrated
in Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, p.250.
Ivory xiangqi pieces rarely survived; compare however, with a set of jade xiangqi pieces in the
National Palace Museum, Taipei, which is illustrated in Wenfang juying, Taipei, 1993, no.171.
棋盒方形，木胎髹黑漆，四墻描金繪纏枝莨苕紋為框，內繪靈芝仙草一叢，蓋略微成盝頂，頂上
繪纏枝寶相花一朵，四角填以纏枝番蓮紋，盒內各呈十六顆象牙棋子，棋子一面刻梅花冰裂紋
及楷書棋名，內填金彩，外壁黑漆描金彩繪連枝海棠一周，一盒棋子染綠色，底部陰刻團蝠紋，
一盒棋子染紅色， 底部陰刻團鶴銜芝紋。
象棋在中國的流傳歷史悠久，不過源頭雜說，有波斯象棋及印度象棋傳入中土之說。象字常被
誤會與大象有關，實則更有可能源於走棋模仿星象運動。明朝方以智《通雅》: 「象棋始於唐，周
武之《象經》，非今之象戲也。」《象經》為後周武帝創作，書中有日月星辰之象，象戲名稱由此而
來。現代象棋發軔於宋代，宋元之際成書的《事林廣記》中，記載了最早的兩局完整的象棋棋譜
和最古老的排局「二龍出海勢」。象棋規則較圍棋簡單，耗時亦較圍棋短，故而各個階層人士皆
好之，至今仍然。
此盒黑漆描金風格於雍正朝尤盛，蓋皇帝癡迷日本蒔繪。所繪花紋可比較一件北京故宮藏清雍
正黑漆描金百壽字碗內所繪紋飾，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集》，香港，2006年，編號102。
另可參考一件北京故宮藏清代黑漆描金花卉食具提匣，見《金相玉質：請代宮廷包裝藝術》，澳
門，2000年，編號79。此盒及棋子上所繪卷草花紋亦是明顯的雍正風格， 可比較台北故宮藏一
件清雍正銅胎畫琺瑯纏枝蓮紋六孔瓶上所繪莨苕紋風格的纏枝番蓮紋，見《清世宗文物大展》，
台北，2009年，頁250。
象牙雖為古代常見製作棋子的材質，然而不易保存，存世稀少。其形制可參考北京故宮藏一套
玉質象牙棋子，見《文房聚英》，台北，1993年，編號171。

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