Page 90 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong Sotheby's April 2017

3615

AN IMPERIALLY INSCRIBED CELADON JADE 清乾隆十年 青玉描金御製冰嬉賦冊頁
ALBUM LEAF 《乾隆乙丑嘉平御筆》款
MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG, DATED 「乾」、「隆」印 「十」字
YICHOU YEAR (IN ACCORDANCE WITH 1745)
來源：
the rectangular plaque skilfully incised and gilt on one side in 傳 Niccolò Maddalena 收藏，意大利，二十世紀初入藏
running script with an excerpt from an imperial poem Yuzhi
bingxi fu [An imperial rhapsody of ice sports], dated to the 題識：
jiaping (12th month) of the yichou year (in accordance with 尼有言，射觀德兮。安不忘危，舊是式兮。惟歲之宴，以
1745) and followed by two seal marks reading Qian and Long 休以息兮，一日之樂，匪賚曷得兮。敬告後人，毋或逾
respectively, the reverse similarly incised and gilt with a pair 則兮。
of soaring dragons flanking a central ‘flaming pearl’ against
flaming wisps and ruyi cloud scrolls, the lower edge of the 玉冊始於遠古，盛於清。乾隆皇帝尤重玉冊，分門別類，
album leaf gilt-incised with a shi (ten) character 將重大事件、文章、佛經、書畫等，鐫刻成玉冊，使之長
28.7 cm, 11¼ in. 久保存、流傳。

PROVENANCE 清乾隆時臣竇光鼐、朱筠奉旨刊刻之《日下舊聞考》中
曰：「太液池冬日表演冰戲，習勞行賞以閱武事而修國俗
Collection of Niccolò Maddalena, Italy, since the early 20th 雲。」冰上運動尤為清雍正、乾隆帝所推崇，規模盛大。
century, by repute. 乾隆皇帝認為「冰嬉為國之所重」，既可強身體，亦可訓
練八旗官兵，檢閱八旗子弟滑行技能，特將冰嬉定為「國
HK$ 700,000-900,000 俗」，成為每年冬季重大體育、軍事活動。

US$ 90,500-116,000 史料記載：「每歲冰合，有冰嬉之典，藉以習武，上親臨
視」。 每年冬月（農曆十一月），乾隆皇帝大駕親臨，檢
The present jade plaque, finely inscribed with the last section 閱冰上運動的武士。「太液凍初堅，冰嬉隊連連。彎弓兼
of Yuzhi bingxi fu [An imperial rhapsody of ice sports] 肆武，仰射彩球圓」，可見場面之盛大。
composed by the Qianlong Emperor and numbered shi [tenth],
appears to be part of a jade album. The Emperor wrote that, 乾隆皇帝視冰戲為國俗，望將滿人騎射尚武傳統永久流
in his introduction, although ice sports had been enjoyed for 傳，故將之刻於玉冊，流傳後世。此頁應為《冰嬉賦序》
centuries and praised by the Song poet Su Dongpo (1037- 玉冊之最後一頁，乾隆御筆，時為乾隆十年十二月。
1101), no rhapsody on the subject had been written before. Ice
sports were of particular importance to the Manchurians, who
ranked it among other traditional activities such as wrestling
and archery. During the Qing dynasty, soldiers talented in ice
skating were selected and trained to perform in front of the
court during the annual grand ceremony in the 11th month
on Lake Taiyi. Their performance during the winter ceremony
would directly affect their military careers. A related painting
An Ice Game by Jin Kun, Cheng Zhidao and Fu Long’an,
depicting such ceremony on ice and inscribed with the same
rhapsody by Ji Huang (1711-94), is preserved in the Palace
Museum, Beijing and illustrated in The Complete Collection of
Treasures of the Palace Museum. Paintings by the Court Artists
of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 61.

Finely incised and gilt jade books reveal the dexterity of the
carver with the medium, as such thin plaques were extremely
fragile and could break if excessive pressure was applied when
carving. During the Qianlong period, the production of jade
books attained a new apex of quality, reflecting the Emperor’s
deep admiration and the increased availability of the material
following the pacification of the Hui people in Xinjiang. These
books were made under imperial orders by artisans working
in the Palace Workshop belonging to the Neiwufu in the jade
workshops of Suzhou, or in those belonging to the Huai and
Changlu Administrations.

Imperial jade books are frequently found inscribed with poetry;
see one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in the
Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade. Qing
Dynasty, vol. 9, Beijing, 2011, pl. 85, together with a slightly
larger book, pl. 84.

88 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比