Page 85 - Nov. 27 2019 Christie's Hong Kong Desk Objects

fig. 1 Huangchao Liqi tushi (Illustrated Precedents of the Ritual fig. 2 Potala Palace Collection
Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court. 1759) எՀ Ⴋ㙤ᐹ༈⻦৅
எӬ Ƕ⎑ង◶଍எᅴǷ

2835 Continued

In Tibetan Buddhism, the conch shell symbolises the Voice of ங⻦۔דᘰ⋁ԋ卿ᱡに㎜ᇨǸ㊥ǹǯᝳ㋵㞐ཉ㊯ᯧ卿⪬㫲୨ᙹ卿ൈᱡに
the Buddha and the transmission of the Buddhist teachings. The Ԡ㮥ǯᯧにӳᏒߴӮדԛӮӽד卿࣊㙞ࣸӮדᎵࣥංӮדǯἃ㞐㘔⁋ཪ
Seven Buddhas are known collectively as the Seven Buddhas of the
Ꮀד߿⎏㙞ࣸӽ卿ࡺᑐᝬᇌ߅ӽ⎏㞐㘔⁋ཪדभݬӮӽ卿ߎߣἃᬚ෤ས
Past or the ancient Buddhas. They are: Vipasyin, Sikhin, Visvabhu,
דǮསᢾדǮᬚ⯣᱙דǮᑈ⊬໑דǮᑈ㚣्⁋ཪדǮ㘔⶟דক㞐㘔⁋ཪ
Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, Kasyapa, and Sakyamuni. It is believed
that the Buddha Sakyamuni has taken seven incarnations and he is the דǯ
last of the Seven Past Buddhas. The text inscribed inside the present
shell reflects the shell’s significance in conveying an imagery of the ᶕᚉங㞖ഺ⏻ᛞឆཌᱡにႡካᝳℒ㦈ǯ᚝ឆᱡに⊇㘶ᥑᅓ卿ֿխս㕘Կ
transmission of Buddhist teachings. ⊇㘶ἃԖǯஙǶ⎑ង◶଍எᅴǷԋࣥ♑ἃǸᱡッǹ卿⋁ԋᚺ┱㉃㖊ᱡに
ᛓ⊇ս㫀㕘⽚ङ⎏႙ݰǯ卻ॲː卼὞⩧ᶕ᳖ஙݣ㨸Ԡᇌ卿ᱡに㘳᷉Ꮀἃ
From the time of the Jurchens during the Jin dynasty, the conch shell
horn had been mainly used by the Manchu clan for military purposes. דᘰᯧᝯ◂▚⎏◶ܔ㺩଍ǯԳ㪏ᝤᖬǶᯧに㐫Ƿ卿ᚺ㈲ᯧにἃǸᢹ഍Ԡ
The sounding of a conch shell would signal the advance or halt of ଍ǹ卿୬᫉⡻●ఉݤᏒᝳリ༈ཀᅏ⎐㪀㉑ᯧにǯ⩧ங㇛⻦卿ᱡに㩶Իה
troops. In the Huangchao liqi tushi (Illustrated Precedents of the Ritual ज़ണ⊇ം卿㚍⬒⧡ᙻד೉߿⏇ᘞ≼㬖ǯ
Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court, 1759), the conch shell was named
as hailuo and its function was clearly stated for controling the troops. →ໄԳ㪏ᇙ㐫ᯧにࡺᑐ㇛⻦Ⴋ㙤ᐹ༈Ӭ։Ⅷ⻦卿ࣥἃԳ㪏㐩Խ㙤㐘੕ૐ
However, after the Manchus established the Qing dynasty several Ԡ⁒卿ᝪⶬ㢙ᙻӳᱡࢷ⁒㱦⤔Ƕ㫝ఓ⻦Ⅷ厍㇛⻦ᙔ⁒⠢⠝Ƿ卿 ჺ卿
centuries later, the conch (fig. 1) shell became more important and
significant in religious rituals, and would be displayed in the Buddhist ӳᱡ卿எ‸ 卻ॲ̤卼厎झ࢈ᘢ༈Ք⻦ᝳᙇ։卿ݯԋݦ։Ӯדᱡにߒ
temples inside the Forbidden City, being used not only as a musical ᙻǶ⎑᪇⯝דᯧ厍⻦۔דᘰᯧ଍⁞ཿஎ㢙Ƿ卿झ࢈卿 ჺ卿㮰
instrument but also as a container for holy water. The text inside the 卿⤔⽚ ǯ᫉ം卿ऱ㮰Ք㇦Ӭग㬪㞖⒢ᱡに㫌։ǯᱡに㩶ߴ㱈Ӯӽ
shell is a eulogy composed by the Emperor Qianlong in praise of its דം卿झ࢈ᘢ༈औᝳӬ׾ᶕߴ⦞៨⊹⸥卿जࣻ㇦ǶԳ㪏⎑Ⴝ⎏ᙔࢇഌ
divinity in Buddhism.
᥉Ƿ卿झ࢈卿 ჺ卿㮰 卿எ‸卿* ǯ
An example from the Potala Palace Collection, catalogued as a
‘trumpet’ and a gift bestowed upon the Dalai Lama by the Emperor
Qianlong, is included in Treasure from Snow Mountains, Gems of
Tibetan Cultural Relics, Shanghai Museum and illustrated in the
exhibition catalogue, no. 56. (fig. 2) Also, compare similar examples
from the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, including
two illustrated in Monarchy and Its Buddhist Way: Tibetan-Buddhist
Ritual Implements, Taipei, 1999, pp. 154-155, no. 65, where a third
shell of carved lapis lazuli is included; and one with an Indian lotus
design carved to the exterior illustrated in Emperor Ch’ien-lung’s Grand
Cultural Enterprise, Taipei, 2012, p. 49, pl. I-36.

83