Page 187 - Christie's Irving Collection Lacquer Bronse jade and Ink March 2019

Jade bufalos, like this charming example, have traditionally been greatly 牛的形象在中國深入人心，牛在十二生肖中是對應十二地支的「丑」，中國人對牛
prized in China. The ox or bufalo is one of the twelve animals representing 的認知一向是盡忠職守、勤奮努力、有力但又祥和溫順。這其中多少與其助力農
Chou, the second of the twelve terrestrial branches used in Chinese 耕的角色有關。倫敦佳士得曾在2003年11月11日拍賣過一件玉牛擺件，拍品65
astrological, calendrical and zodiac systems. Bufalos are associated with 號，上面刻有乾隆皇帝在丙寅年 （1746）所作的御題詩「丑之精， 食之本，樂彼
strength, prosperity and tranquility in China, in part because of their role in 萬民， 歲賴以稔」，對牛的美德讚譽有加。
farming and the production of food. The carving recalls a 1746 inscription
by the Qianlong emperor: “The bufalo is essential to provide food, helping 與牛相關的故事，甚至可以追溯至夏朝，傳說中大禹治水時，曾鑄造一頭鐵牛鎮
thousands of people to bring in a bountiful harvest every year.” This 水，其後因禹治水有功，舜禪讓帝位，禹建立夏朝。數千年之後，乾隆皇帝仿傚前
朝聖主，在1755年下令御製一頭銅牛置於清漪園（後改名頤和園）的昆明湖畔。
inscription appears on a more simply carved brownish-black jade bufalo
sold at Christie’s London, 11 November 2003, lot 65. 牛背上鏨有80字篆文歌頌讚揚大禹鑄鐵牛以治水之功。
牛的親民形象及神話傳説，令它們很早就出現在玉雕動物擺件中。及至明清時期
The popularity of these animals has an ancient source, since the legendary
emperor Yu of the Xia dynasty (c. 2100-1600 BC) is said to have made an 更是出現了一批如本件青玉臥牛這樣雕工精良、體量碩大的例子。這些大玉牛不
ofering of an iron ox or bufalo to subdue foods. This theme was taken up 論從雕刻的工藝水平還是用料的大器上，都有別於體型較小且品質普通的動物
by the emperor Qianlong (1736-1795), who ordered the casting of a large 擺件，備受皇室青睞。英國Woolley and Wallis拍賣行於2009年5月20日拍賣
一件乾隆青玉大臥牛，拍品388號。該玉牛所帶銅鎏金底座落有乾隆年款，指明
bronze ox in 1755, which he had placed looking out over Kunming Lake at
the Summer Palace. The back of the ox has an eighty-character inscription 其宮廷陳設的身份。劍橋大學費茨威廉姆博物館藏有一件此類青灰玉大臥牛，
which refers to Yu’s iron bufalo made to control the foods. 載於J. Ayers及J. Rawson著1975年倫敦出版《 Chinese Jade throughout
the ages》，頁120，編號395。何鴻卿爵士的藏品中, 亦收有一件灰黑玉大臥牛,
The mythological and practical auspiciousness of bufalos ensured that 見J. Rawson著1995年大英博物館出版《Chinese Jade from the Neolithic
they were included among animal carvings from early times, and by the to the Qing》，頁375，編號26:19。紐約佳士得曾於2000年3月21日拍賣一件
period of the late Ming into the Qing dynasty, a group of large, fnely carved 青玉大臥牛，拍品126號，與本拍品十分相似，唯其牛首微昂。亦可比紐約佳士得
jade fgures was being produced. One of these is a Qianlong spinach-green 2008年3月19日拍賣一例，拍品436號。
jade bufalo from the collection of Sackville George Pelham, the 5th Earl of
Yarborough, sold at Woolley and Wallis, 20 May 2009, lot 388. The Pelham
bufalo has an accompanying Qianlong-marked gilt-bronze stand, which
reveals that it was a display piece in Qianlong’s court. Another of these
large green jade bufalos is in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum,
Cambridge, illustrated by John Ayers and Jessica Rawson in Chinese Jade
throughout the ages, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1975, p. 120, no.
395. A grey-green jade example, now in the collection of Sir Joseph Hotung,
is illustrated by Jessica Rawson in Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the
Qing, London, 1995, p. 375, no. 26:19. See, also, the large green jade bufalo
sold at Christie’s, New York, 21 March 2000, lot 126, which is very similarly
carved except that the head is slightly raised, not lowered, as here. Another
large green jade bufalo, from the Estate of Leona M. Helmsley, was sold at
Christie’s, New York, 19 March 2008, lot 436.

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