Page 34 - Sotheby's NYC September 20 2022 Forging An Empire Bronzes

Fig. 2 Mr. Li Yingshuan and Mrs. Qiu Hui Fig. 3 Li Hongzhang
圖二 李蔭軒及邱輝伉儷 圖三 李鴻章

Collecting in Shanghai during the mid-20th century, Li witnessed first-hand the dispersion of great Father and son would spend many restless evenings together studying, discussing, recording or
archaic bronze collections, such as Wu Dacheng’s Kezhai and Wu Yun’s Liangleixuan, and felt a great simply enjoying the vessels. They were searching to understand the past, seeking to unveil China’s
responsibility as an individual to preserve these cultural relics for future generations. Albert, growing ancient history that was contained within these archaic and esoteric inscriptions. In that small room
up immersed in this environment, shared the same insatiable intellectual curiosity, impeccable filled with treasures, they were transported to the very beginnings of China’s civilization and were
taste and sense of responsibility. From a young age, he was surrounded by these masterpieces and in conversation with the generations of scholars and jinshi graduates who came before them. But
recounted how his earliest memories as a child were always of his father’s archaic bronzes. more importantly, those late evenings were a testament to an exceptional passion shared between
father and son, a kinship that was strengthened through their mutual fascination with these archaic
“In my childhood, I always liked the kind of fragrance when he opened the two glass display cases, masterpieces.
which were full of crisp green vessels. A little older, I was intrigued by those pictograms casted on the
vessels. Later on, I learned how to make ink impressions and I often enjoyed accompanying him to
those visits, to antique shops and antique markets in Kuangtoon road during my early teens.” 後，我被器皿上的象形文字深深吸引。再之後， 中發掘過去的故事，填補中國上古史的空白。在那個
Albert Y.P. Lee 我學會墨拓，十來歲的時候還喜歡經常跟著他 堆滿瑰寶的小房間裡，他們沉浸在遙遠的時空中，追
逛古董店，或者到廣東路的古玩市場尋寶。」 溯華夏文明的濫觴。那些秉燭鑽研的深夜，見證了父
李爾白 子兩代無分伯仲的熱忱，對青銅古器的興趣加深了父
子之間的感情。
二十世紀中葉出入上海古董收藏界的經歷，讓李蔭軒 心、責任心與品味。他的家中擺滿古物，兒時回憶總 父子兩人在無數個夜晚一起探討、記錄或只是純粹地
親眼目睹了青銅器的流散，即使是吳大澂愙齋及吳雲 是離不開父親的青銅器。 欣賞這些美輪美奐的古物，並嘗試從艱奧難懂的銘文
兩罍軒舊藏的彝器亦難逃四散的命運。有見及此，李
蔭軒自感有責任為後代保存文物，而李爾白在這樣的 「我小時候總是很喜歡他打開雙門玻璃櫃時，從
環境中長大，耳濡目染之下，亦培養出同樣的好奇 擺滿青銅器的櫃子裡散發出來的氣味。年紀稍長

32 POWER / CONQUEST: THE FORGING OF EMPIRES