Page 65 - Christie's Irving Collection Lacquer Bronse jade and Ink March 2019

As evidenced by the records of the Qing dynasty and the enormous 不論是從清宮文字檔案中皇帝的親自授意還是從宮廷收藏本身來看，乾隆皇帝
size of the imperial collections, there was an intense interest in Chinese 對古物都有著非比尋常的興趣，這也直接導致了當日仿古之風盛行。這一點在玉
antiquities at the imperial court refected in the commissioning of pieces 器上尤為明顯，乾隆不僅命工匠製作或摹仿具有古意的玉器，更在其上落《乾隆
in archaic styles during the eighteenth century. This certainly pertained to 仿古》款，其用心可見一斑。
jades that were made in a broad range of archaic styles during the reign of
the Qianlong emperor, who had a passion for jade and preferred those of 本件玉壺當屬仿古而不泥古的古意玉器，其器形源自戰國晚期的青銅壺，但
ancient type, not only those that directly imitated jades of earlier date but 更顯修長。青銅例可參照一件戰國提鏈壺，肩部及下腹部亦有獸首銜環，載於
also jades that alluded to the antique without directly copying. Many of the Jenny So，《Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler
pieces he commissioned are inscribed fanggu (to imitate the ancient). Collections》，卷III，1995年，頁287，圖51.3。
The present vase is of the second type. The shape appears to be based 指明本件玉壺仿古身分的是其器底的《大清乾隆仿古》款。故宮博物院藏有兩
on fuller-bodied bronze hu of late Warring States date, such as the chain- 件帶仿古款的乾隆玉壺，載於楊伯達編，《華夏古玉．鑑賞篇》，卷12，1997年，
handled hu from Hubei Jiangling, of late fourth-third century BC date, 圖版39及40。第一件（圖版39）仿自漢代青銅壺，白玉質，飾弦紋和獸首銜環。
illustrated by Jenny So, in Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. 第二件（圖版40）飾夔龍紋和水鳥、龜、魚紋，其肩部和下腹部獸首銜環的佈置
Sackler Collections, vol. III, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1995, p. 287, 更接近本件壺。另一件飾水鳥、龜、魚紋的玉壺，署四字《乾隆仿古》款，載於
fg. 51.3. Like the present jade vase, the bronze hu has a pair of mask and Roger Keverne，《Jade》，紐約，1991年，頁181，圖132。署六字乾隆仿古款
loose-ring handles fanking the shoulder and has mask and ring handles on 的玉壺亦可見紐約佳士得2011年3月24日拍賣一件方壺，拍品1522號。
the lower body, although there appear to be four rather than two.

The Qianlong six-character fanggu mark (Qianlong copying the ancient) on
the Irving vase indicates that it was one of the special group of jade vessels
which were inspired by ancient bronze forms and were inscribed with this
mark. Larger jade vases of this type, most of hu shape, have been published.
Two in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Yang Boda, ed., Chinese
Jades Throughout the Ages - Connoisseurship of Chinese Jades, vol. 12, Qing
Dynasty, Chinese Art Foundation, 1997, pls. 39 and 40, have the more typical
shape of bronze hu of Han dynasty date. The frst, pl. 39, of white jade, has
plain raised bands encircling the shoulder and lower body and a pair of mask
handles suspending loose rings fanking the neck. The second, pl. 40, is
carved with raised borders enclosing a band of kui dragons on the neck and
two bands of fsh, birds and turtles encircling the shoulder and body. The
arrangement of the pair of mask and loose-ring handles fanking the neck
and the pair on the lower body is similar to that seen on the Irving vase. The
mark on both of these vases is similar to that on the present vase. Another
large hu-shaped vase, also carved with bands of birds, turtles and fsh, and
with similarly positioned handles, but with a four-character Qianlong fanggu
mark, is illustrated by Roger Keverne, Jade, New York, 1991, p. 181, fg. 132.
See, also, a jade archaistic hu-form vase with Qianlong six-character fanggu
inscribed mark sold at Christies, New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1522.

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