Page 32 - Sotheby's NYC September 20 2022 Forging An Empire Bronzes

O F P R O F O U N D L O V E A N D

R ES T L ES S P U R S U I T

篤好敏求：李爾白及駱桂生伉儷珍藏重要青銅器

“I A M NOT ONE W HO WA S BOR N A LL-K NOW ING, M ER ELY

ONE W HO IS FOND OF T HE A NCIEN T PA S T A ND PU R S U ES
IT R ES T LESSLY FOR T HE AT TA INM EN T OF K NOW LED GE .”

- C O N F U C I U S , TH E A NA L E C T S

「我非生而知之者，好古，敏以求之者也」

孔子 ，《論語》
Fig. 1 Mr. Albert Y.P. Lee and Mrs. Sara K.S. Lee
圖一 李爾白及駱桂生伉儷

ucked away for decades and unknown to the public, the following extraordinary group Albert Y.P. Lee (Li Erbai) (1930-2021) (fig. 1), was born in Shanghai into a wealthy, cultured and well-
of archaic bronzes from the collection of Albert Y.P. Lee recounts a story of one man’s respected family. His father, Li Yingshuan (fig. 2), was the grandnephew of Li Hongzhang (1823-1901)
Tlifelong curiosity, passion and dedication to the study of China’s ancient history. Lee’s (fig. 3), the prominent Chinese politician, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty who served
collection, exceptionally strong in its focus on epigraphy, provides a window into a glorious and turbulent in several important positions in the Qing court. A quiet and discreet collector, Li Yingshuan began
period of China’s illustrious history when bronze ritual objects and their inscriptions recorded political collecting in the 1930s and amassed a collection of around 200 archaic bronzes, which included the
warfare amongst clans, documented sacred rites and ceremonies, and chronicled the lives of the most Lu Hou Zun (fig. 4), the Xiao Chen Shan Zhi, and the Hou Chuo Fangding – some of the most eminent
exalted ancient rulers. Imbued with a sense of elegant nostalgia, the collection also serves as a personal bronzes now in the collection of the Shanghai Museum. Born in the same year as the collapse of
homage to Lee’s father – the important and distinguished Li Yingshuan (1911-1972). The elder Li owned the Qing empire, Li Yingshuan was undoubtedly influenced by the great scholars and collectors of
one of the finest archaic bronze collections in the world, which was donated to the Shanghai Museum, the late 19th century who ushered in a new wave of evidential scholarship and renewed interest in
Shanghai, in 1979. antiquarianism. Following in their footsteps, Li placed a great emphasis on the collecting and studying
of bronze inscriptions. In fact, out of great respect and admiration for the scholar and collector Pan
Zuyin (1830-1890), Li purchased several pieces from Pan’s collection, Pangulou, and counted them
李爾白先生好古敏求，所集成的這組珍貴高古青銅 治往來、祭祀儀式以及部族首領或諸侯貴族的生平。 amongst his most prized possessions.
器，體現了他終其一生對中國古史孳孳不息、求知求 高古重器，總能引發懷古情思，而這組藏品還寄託了
索的精神。其收藏重器隱跡數十載，今現於世，實為 李爾白先生對其父親李蔭軒先生（1911-1972）的仰
幸事。先生秉承金石傳統，專注庋藏有銘青銅禮器， 念之情。李蔭軒先生的金石收藏可謂近現代最具歷史 李爾白（1930-2021）（圖一）生於上海一個家境殷 器。李蔭軒出生時正值清朝覆亡之際，十九世紀後
其中不乏一些金石界知名重器以及極具歷史意義的銘 價值且最為精美的高古青銅器珍藏之一，其收藏後於 實的書香門第，父親李蔭軒（圖二）是晚清重臣李 期注重考據的金石學派無疑影響了李蔭軒的收藏習
篇。透過這些上古留存下來的吉光片羽，今人可一窺 1979年捐贈予上海博物館。 鴻章（圖三）的侄孫。李蔭軒是一位鑑藏大家，平 慣。他追隨著前人學者和鑑藏家的步伐，在研究金
華夏之初的豐饒歷史，了解遠古部族之間的戰爭與政 時深居簡出，從上世紀三十年代開始收藏，累積了 石銘文方面尤有建樹。他仰慕潘祖蔭（1830-1890
約二百件古代青銅器，當中包括魯侯尊（圖四）、 ），曾購入數件攀古樓舊藏之器，並奉為至珍。
小臣單觶、厚趠方鼎等現藏於上海博物館的重要珍

30 POWER / CONQUEST: THE FORGING OF EMPIRES