A FINELY-CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER PEACH-SHAPED BOX AND COVER
QianlongThe cover finely carved through thick layers of cinnabar lacquer with a peach-shaped medallion depicting a landscape dotted with pavilions and pine trees along a river bank, the rounded sides of the cover and box embellished with hexagonal diaper enclosing bats interspersed with clusters of vaporous ruyi clouds, the foot encircled with a band of upright lappets surrounding key-fret borders around a recessed base with a central bat on a diaper ground. 17cm (6 2/8in) long. (2).
注脚
清乾隆 剔紅山水亭台桃式蓋盒Provenance: Sotheby's Paris, 12 June 2013, lot 56 An important European private collection來源:巴黎蘇富比,2013年6月12日,拍品編號56歐洲重要私人收藏Peach-shaped boxes were among the novelties made during the Qianlong period. The term jiuru (meaning 'nine wishes'), also refers to boxes shaped as a peach, underscoring auspicious symbolism relating to birthday wishes. Combined with the imagery of the peach (symbolic of longevity), and the bat (conveying happiness), this would have made the present vessel an appropriate birthday gift. The large number of lacquer wares made for Imperial consumption and dating to the Qianlong reign, produced in different shapes and decorated with a wide array of designs, probably reflected the emperor's deep appreciation of lacquer art.The peach is among the most important auspicious symbols in Chinese culture, and vessels made in the form of a peach were much favoured by emperors. Peach blossoms are mentioned in the 'Book of Poetry', Shijing, where they were treated as a symbol for the arrival of Spring. The 'Record of the Peach Blossom Spring' Taohua yuan Ji, by Tao Qian (365-427) describes a fisherman entering a paradisiacal world through a peach orchard. At later times, peaches became associated with Daoism and with man's concern of attaining Immortality. Beautiful peaches were believed to grow in the luxurious garden of the Queen Mother of the West, the main Daoist deity, and Shoulao, also known as the God of Longevity, is often depicted holding a peach.Compare with a similarly-shaped cinnabar lacquer peach-shaped box and cover, mid Qing period, decorated with a central panel depicting the Immortal Zhang Guolao crossing the sea, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, pl.67. A related cinnabar lacquer peach-shaped box and cover, Qianlong six-character mark and of the period, decorated with an Immortal under a tree on a river bank, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2108.蓋盒桃形,子母口,通體髹朱漆 ,盒內髹黑漆。蓋面隨形開光,內雕山水亭台。盒底亦桃形開光,雕蝙蝠一隻。蓋面及盒身邊沿於六角形錦地之上交替分佈五蝠祥雲。此器朱漆色澤肥厚鮮麗,紋飾繁複精細,極富立體感,盡顯乾隆一朝的華美風尚。桃在中國傳統文化中的象徵意義源遠流長,無論是桃形用器還是裝飾主題都極受歡迎。先秦古籍《山海經》記述神荼與鬱壘二神人居東海度朔山桃樹下,閱領萬鬼,成為後世門神的原型,桃符也從而被附加了辟邪之功用;《詩經·桃夭》篇則以桃花喻女性之美好,「桃花源」更是文人逸士理想世界的指代。明清以來,以桃為長壽象徵的裝飾母題十分流行,這與其在道教語境下長生不老之寓意息息相關。蓋面及盒身邊沿雕飾五蝠,意指「洪福齊天」,五蝠音同五福,即代表「高壽、康寧、富貴、好德、善終」,搭配壽桃形制,象徵福祿壽三喜兼備。參考清宮舊藏一件清中期剔綠加彩渡海圖桃式盒,見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系:清代漆器》,香港,2006年,圖版67。另見一例漆器收藏世家李氏家族舊藏清乾隆剔紅桃式九如寶盒,「大清乾隆年製」楷書款,售於香港佳士得,2012年11月28日,拍品編號2108。
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