Page 191 - 2018 Hong Kong Important Chieese Art

Exquisite for the even golden colouration of the stone and 此珮色澤金黃，刻工精練，以田黃成珮，更是鳳毛麟角。
outstanding carving quality, it is extremely rare to find 匠人巧手活雕，浮雲、靈芝相互呼應，變化靈動。清田黃
pendants carved from the precious tianhuang stone. The 石雕至臻，此作既反映乾隆盛世之氣象，亦為晚明以來尚
carver of the present piece has skilfully manipulated the subtle
古、好古之風的延續。
tonal gradations of the stone to create a sense of movement
and intrinsic energy through the billowing clouds and lingzhi 田黃自古已可與玉媲美，同為御用珍品。福建壽山其名有
fungus. This superb design captures both the opulence of the
empire under the Qianlong Emperor while remaining rooted in 「福」有「壽」，福壽雙全，而田「黃」諧「皇」，更得
archaistic tradition. 帝王鍾愛，康熙便藏田黃印章過百。田黃為壽山石一種，
The vivid tianhuang stone has long been considered as the 產於福建北之壽山，水田尋之曰「田黃」，溪澗尋之曰「
rival material to the finest and purest jade used for making 水坑」，山澗尋之曰「山坑」。田黃溫潤如脂，色澤斑
items for imperial use. The Kangxi Emperor had more than 100 斕，尤受推崇；古時田黃價格依其重量而非大小而定，更
seals made with tianhuang. It is also known as an auspicious 顯其矜貴。匠人雕石，取其堅毅不拔之精神，田黃便為當
stone because the Chinese word for ‘yellow’ (huang) is a
中之表表者。
homophone for that of ‘emperor’. Tianhuang is one of the top
varieties of precious shoushan stone quarried from Shoushan 珮呈韘形，韘為古代騎射工具，開弓扣弦時護指用，初為
Mountain in the north of Fujian province and was admired for
its mild texture, colour and translucence. Shoushan stones 青銅製，最早見於商周戰國。至漢時韘逐漸從實用器物
are divided into three main categories depending on the place 轉變為裝飾佩戴，中孔變形，周圍多透雕，因其上尖下
they are found: in the mountains, on riversides or in fields, 橢圓，又稱雞心形。韘形佩多為玉製，可見一例，1968
where tianhuang is found. Furthermore, the word shou from 年出土於河北保定滿城縣陵山劉勝王后墓，現存於西安
Shoushan means ‘longevity’ and the word fu of Fujian means
市文物保護考古所，錄於《中國出土玉器全集》，卷1，
‘fortune’; hence tianhuang conveys the message of good
fortune and longevity for the Emperor. The contrast between 北京，2005年，圖版192；亦有二例，為沐文堂藏，曾
the transience of life and the eternity of stones propelled 展於《關氏所藏中國古玉》， 香港中文大學文物館，香
many ancient Chinese artists to carve on the stone to convey
港，1994年，編號205及206。
its ‘resilience’. It is also worth noting that tianhuang was
traditionally valued according to its weight rather than its size, 滿人入住中原後，亟欲崇尚漢風以正其天子之名，仿古之
making it one of the most expensive materials for works of art.
風因此於清尤盛，玉製仿漢式韘形佩亦應運而生。1962年
The form of this pendant, known as she, derives from bronze 於一清墓出土一白玉例，滿雕浮雲，錄於《華夏古玉：鑑
archers rings of the Shang (16th century-c.1050 BC) and 賞編》，卷11，香港，1996，圖版200；亦可見五清例，
Warring States (475-221 BC) periods. By the Han dynasty (206
BC- AD 220), it lost its utilitarian function and transformed into 現藏北京故宮博物院，錄於《故宮博物院文物藏品大系．
a plaque, characterised by its oval form and pointed top, with 玉器編》，卷9：清，北京，2011年，頁236-240。
surrounding scrolling carving, when it was also referred to as
‘chicken-heart shape’. Such pendants were frequently carved
in jade, such as one excavated in 1968 at Lingshang, Mancheng
County in Baoding, Hebei province, from the tomb of Prince
Liu Sheng’s wife, in the Hebei Provincial Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation, published in The Complete Collection of
Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 1, Beijing, 2005, pl. 192; and two
from the collection of Simon Kwan, included in the exhibition
Chinese Archaic Jades from the Kwan Collection, Art Gallery,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1994, cat.
nos 205 and 206.
With the rise of archaism with the establishment of the Qing
dynasty in China, the founding emperors looked to ancient
Han culture to establish their legitimacy to the throne. In this
cultural renaissance, jade versions of these Han she pendants
were created; see an elaborately carved white jade example
depicting floating clouds, excavated in 1962 from a tomb
dateable to the Kangxi period, illustrated in Chinese Jades
Throughout the Ages. Connoisseurship of Chinese Jades, vol.
11, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 200; and five attributed to the Qing
dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in Gugong
bowuyuan wenwu cangpin daxi. Yuqi juan/Compendium of
Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 9, Qing Dynasty,
Beijing, 2011, pls 236-240.

IMPORTANT CHINESE ART 189