Page 88 - 2021 March 15th Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art, Bonhams NYC New York

For another incised Cizhou-type pillow of oval shape in the The same pillow is also illustrated in the British publication
National Palace Museum, Taipei, inscribed and gilt to the Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art,
underside with the same Imperial Poem by the Qianlong 1935-36, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935, p. 125,
Emperor dated to 1746 but written in a regular script rather no. 1284 (Lent by the Chinese Government). Interestingly,
than clerical script, see Peijin Yu, De jia qu: Qianlong huang this pillow is now correctly described as Qingbai ware, or
di de tao ci pin wei - Obtaining Refined Enjoyment : The ‘blue-glazed’ ware from Jingdezhen, rather than Yueyao from
Qianlong Emperor’s Taste in Ceramics , Taipei: National Zhejiang, see Peijin Yu, op. cit., pp. 64-65, fig. 8.
Palace Museum, 2012, p.66-67, no.9 (See Figs. 6-7). The
same publication, pp. 162-163, no. 63, also illustrates a Yet another ingot-shaped pillow, a pale-blue-glazed Jun ware
brown-glazed porcelain zither dated to the 18th century, example dated 1764, illustrated in the same National Palace
which imitates the earlier lacquer versions from the Imperial Musem publication, pp. 142-143, no. 52, shows detailed
collection, and which also bears a poem written by the images of the finely engraved clerical script, which highlights
Qianlong Emperor in 1746. This clearly demonstrates that the dexterity of tool-work neccessary to engrave such a
poetic inscriptions inscribed on many items in the collection fragile porcellanous surface without causing damage, and
began early in the Qianlong reign despite the plethora of bears very close comparison with the calligraphy on ours, in
examples that date from the 1760’s onwards. texture and quality.

Moreover, in an article published in Orientations, November- The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery have a
December 2011, pp.80-88, entitled ‘Consummate Images: near identical Cizhou-type white-glazed ingot-shaped pillow
Emperor Qianlong’s Vision of the ‘’Ideal” Kiln’ by Yu Peichin, with a poem by the Qianlong Emperor, also of one-hundred-
Curator at the Department of Antiquities, National Palace characters split into the same twelve vertical lines but
Museum, Taipei, the author notes that writing poems was a cyclically dated to 1768. It is illustrated on the Smithsonian
passion for the Qianlong Emperor. He was the most prolific website, asia.si.edu/object/F1942.21.
of all the emperors in Chinese history, with over 40,000
imperial poems ascribed to him. Of these 190 are in praise It is also illustrated by Chuimei Ho and Bennet Bronson,
of ceramics. He notes that Qianlong believed that ancient Splendors of China’s Forbidden City, The Glorious Reign
utensils could be used in everyday life and that he used early of Emperor Qianlong, The Field Museum, Chicago, 2004, p.
ceramics to commune with the ancient sages. Yu Peichin 233, no. 293. Chapter VI entitled ‘The Emperor as a Private
then references the poem ‘The white ceramic pillow’, 1746, Person’ has various academic entries including one by Jan
(collected in Qinggaozong yuzhishiwenquanji [The Complete Stuart; ‘Qianlong as a Collector of Ceramics’. Here she
Collection of Imperial Poems by Emperor Ch’ien-lung], discusses the emperor’s habit of adding his inscriptions and
Taipei, 1976, ji 1, juan 31). This is the same poem written seals to not only paintings but also to jades, lacquers and
on our plain white ingot pillow and also on the underside of ceramics. Using their pillow as an example she notes that
the florally decorated pillow in the National Palace Museum, the inscriptions give us an insight into his complexities as an
Taipei (fig. 6-7). He continues, that in the poem, the Qianlong art critic. In their poem, which is shorter but similar in content
emperor writes that by lying on the pillow, he can attempt to ours, she states that the emperor starts with an art
to meet with the ancient leader Fuxi in his dreams, be close historical judgement, naming the pillow Ding ware. This is an
to his grace, and learn his style. As this poem reveals, not understandable misidentification of this pristine white antique
only did Qianlong view the ceramic pillow from the Northern pillow. He then references two classical allusions to dreaming
Song dynasty as ‘solid and clean’ but that he may also have on pillows. At the heart of his text however is another allusion
used it in his daily life. Yu Peichin then considers that in that takes the plainness of the ceramic as its greatest virtue
ordering the poem to be carved, he was actually imbuing the and connects simplicity with human integrity.
artifact with new meaning including the profound sense of
communing with the ancient sages. Another Song dynasty ingot-shaped pillow (9 1/2 inches
across) with a carved design (boys) under a greenish-white
According to the author (citing records in the Palace glaze is illustrated in Gugong Bowuyuan Cang Wenwu
Workshop Employment Archives of the Imperial Household Zhenpin Quanji (Complete Collection of Treasures of the
Department (Neiwufu Zaobanchu gezuochengzuo Palace Museum) Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong
huojiqingdang) there had to be direct instructions from the Kong, 1996, p. 191, no. 173; whilst the earlier volume (I),
emperor before an order to carve each artifact was passed ibid., p. 201, no. 182., illustrates an oval Cizhou pillow with
to the painting academy at Ruyiguan (‘The Palace of Fulfilled carved peony decoration and a Qianlong Imperial poem with
Wishes’) or Maoqindian (‘The Hall of Great Diligence’). yuzhi mark and cyclical date of 1768.

An ingot-shaped pillow (then called Yu-yao ware) of the
Southern Song Dynasty is illustrated in Can jia Lundun
Zhongguo yi shu guo jia zhan lan hui chu pin tu shou
(Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Government, Exhibits for
the International Exhibition of Chinese Art in London, Vol.
II. Porcelain), Shanghai, 1936, p.90, no. 101. It bears an
Imperial Qianlong poem with the date 1765 (See Figs 8-9).

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