Page 35 - Chiense jades Hong Kong Sothebys April 2017

This superbly carved sculpture of a standing 青白玉質，有沁斑，隨形圓雕立象。象細目
elephant is modelled in the round from an oblong 大耳，長鼻後捲，短腿垂腹，神情安然，憨
greenish-white jade. Depicted with small eyes, 態可掬。
large ears, a long nose that curls backwards, the
elephant is further portrayed with short legs and 商代的中原地區氣候溫暖濕潤，為大象提供
a protruding abdomen, appearing tranquil and 了適宜的居住環境。安陽殷墟遺址出土大量
approachable. 象牙、象骨等遺存，表明商代王室貴族早將
大象用於祭祀犧牲。《呂氏春秋》有商人馴象
During the Shang Dynasty, the Central Plain 的記錄：「商人服象，為虐於東夷。周公遂
of China enjoyed a warm and humid climate 以師逐之，至於江南」。婦好墓曾出土兩件
and provided a suitable habitat for elephants. 圓雕玉象，長6-6.5公分，高3-3.3公分，鼻上
The archaeological ruins of Anyang, one of the 捲，嘴微啟，臣字目，雙耳貼肩，通身飾雙陰
Shang capitals, yielded large amounts of ivory 線紋，見《中國古青銅器選》，北京，1976
and elephant bones, indicating that the Shang 年，圖版91。
nobility sacrificed elephants in their rituals. The
Lüshi Chunqiu [Spring and Autumn Annals of 考古出土尚未見漢代玉象圓雕，但有鎏金銅象
Master Lü] records the Shang people’s taming of 的標本。一為河南偃師寇店鄉李家村東漢窖藏
elephants, ‘The Shang people trained elephants, 出土的四件鎏金小銅象，見南京博物院、盱眙
which they used to oppress the Eastern Yi people. 縣文廣新局，＜江蘇盱眙縣大雲山西漢江都
The Duke of Zhou consequently chased them with 王陵一號墓＞，《考古》，北京，2013年10
his armies to the Jiangnan region.’ The Tomb of 期，頁36，圖57:1，長4.2公分，高3.5公分，
Fu Hao yielded two jade elephants carved in the 小巧盈握，造型精準，與其他尺寸相近的鎏金
round, measuring 6-6.5 cm in length and 3-3.3cm 銅馬、牛、鹿等小動物置放在銅尊中。另一例
in height, with upward-curling noses, slightly open 是近年發掘的江蘇盱眙大雲山西漢江都王劉非
mouths, eyes in the form of the chen character, （漢武帝劉徹同父異母的兄弟）墓出土的鎏
ears close to the shoulders, and incised 金銅象，長30.5公分，高20公分。其雙目圓
throughout with double lines. See Zhongguo gu 睜，大耳後掠，長鼻往下內捲，尾垂偏左；除
qingtongqi xuan/A Selection of Ancient Chinese 象牙鎏銀外，通體光素，僅象鼻、頸背，四肢
Bronzes, Beijing, 1976, pl. 91. 處以長短不一的陰刻線表現皮膚的褶皺紋理。
這些簡潔的線條裝飾手法，沿用至明代石雕藝
Han dynasty jade elephants carved in the round 術中，如南京明孝陵神道的石象雕塑仍保持
have yet to be found archaeologically, but some 相同風格。
Han dynasty gilt-bronze elephants are extant,
including four excavated in an Eastern Han burial
site at Lijiacun, Koudian, Yanshi, Henan. See
Nanjing Museum and Xuyi Cultural and Media
Bureau, ‘Jiangsu Xuyiai xian Dayunshan Xihan
Jiangdu wangling yihao mu [Royal Mausoleum
No. 1 of the Vassal King of Jiangdu State of the
Western Han dynasty]’, Kaogu/Archaeology,
Beijing, vol. 10, 2013, p. 36, fig. 57:1. Measuring
4.2 cm in length and 3.5 cm in height, these finely
carved pieces are small and light. Together with
other bronze animals such as horses, oxen and
deer, they were placed in a bronze zun. Another
relevant example is a gilt-bronze elephant
recently excavated from the tomb of Liu Fei,
Prince of Jiangdu of the Western Han Dynasty
(and a stepbrother of Liu Che, Emperor Wu of
the Han), Dayunshan, Xuyi, Jiangsu. Measuring
30.5 cm in length and 20 cm in height, this
carving is depicted with large round eyes, ears
pulled back, a long backward-curling nose and
a tail that hangs towards the left. Aside from its
silver-gilt ivory, the elephant body has a polished
surface, with only incised lines of various lengths
indicating the folds of its skin on its nose, neck,
back, and limbs. This method of linear articulation
persisted in Ming dynasty stone sculptures,
including the stone elephant along the spirit path
of the Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing.

BEASTS OF ANTIQUITY – IMPORTANT JADE ANIMALS FROM THE CHANG SHOU STUDIO 33