Footnotes

Treasury 7, no. 1543


剔紅剔黃壽字鼻煙壺
大概為御製品：1730～1820


Full Cycle

Cinnabar-red and yellow-ochre lacquer on bronze; with a flat lip and no functional foot; carved with two layers of colour, with red on yellow-ochre with an oval panel resembling a turtle's carapace on each main side with a series of sixty identical, formalized shou (longevity) characters on a ground of fylfot, or wan (ten-thousand) diaper design, framed with a band of continuous leiwen (thunder pattern), the narrow sides and base with further vertical, double-unit leiwen giving way as the shoulders widen to modified horizontal ones, the neck with a band of formalized lotus-petal design; the lip, inner neck, and interior, bronze

Probably imperial, 1730–1820
Height: 6.4 cm
Mouth/lip: 0.6/1.8 cm
Stopper: silver, chased with a formalized floral design above a rope design
Condition: multiple chips to the shou characters on both main sides and to the surrounding formalized design, but all relatively small and not obtrusive; some scratching to the gilt metal lip, but the gilding in good condition generally


Provenance:
Rare Art, New York (prior to circa 1977)
Mr & Mrs Edmund Prentis III
White Wings Collection
Robert Kleiner (1998)

Published:
JICSBS, December 1977, front cover
Kleiner 1997, no. 148
Treasury 7, no. 1543

Commentary:
One of many indications of an imperial origin for the group of lacquer bottles introduced in Treasury 7, under no. 1538, is found in several examples of similar design and shape. Multiple production was standard for bottles made at or for the court as such large quantities were required for both use and distribution as gifts. Another example almost identical to the present bottle is in Stevens 1976, no. 760 ( now in the Denis Low Collection, Kleiner 1999, no. 210), while two more are known: one in the Monimar Collection, Lawrence 1996, no. 216, now in the Franz Collection; and Li Jiufang 2002, no. 397, still in the imperial collection. Another is in the Marquess of Exeter Collection, Chinese Snuff Bottles No. 6, p. 14, no. O.29.

They are the equivalents of a group of imperial bamboo-veneer bottles, one of which also remains in the imperial collection in Beijing (op cit., no. 385, where the unusual, simple and repeated formalization of the shou character is identical to the present example). The number of shou characters is intended to be read separately, since sixty years represents a full cycle of the jiazi (cyclical dating system) and is considered a notable achievement and celebrated as a major milestone in life. The symbolism of shou characters equalling this auspicious number is augmented by the turtle's carapace shape of the panels (the turtle being a standard symbol of longevity) and the ground design of wan symbols, or fylfots, which stand for 'ten thousand' and are also a wish for longevity, albeit one rather more optimistic than hoping for a mere cycle of sixty years. The band around the neck here might not be easily recognized but for the same band around the shoulders of Treasury 7, no. 1540. It is likely to be formalized lotus petals and resembles the standard base of Buddhist figures produced in gilt-bronze for the court from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries. The lotus (lian) petals function as a visual pun for the idea of continuity (lian). At first glance, the bottle illustrated by Stevens, also from the Prentis Collection and obviously from the same series as this one, appears to have the leiwen pattern of the frame running in the opposite direction, but closer examination reveals that the photograph is reversed by mistake, since the wan symbols also have their crampons in the wrong direction. It may be that these bottles were made for an imperial birthday, but it is just as likely that they were made as a series to distribute as gifts on the sixtieth birthday of any member of the imperial family or official the emperor cared to honour in this way.


雷紋一周

剔紅與剔黃，青銅胎；平唇、沒有站立功能的底；黃地剔紅，兩正面雕開光中六十個"壽"字，開光以雷紋圍成，以小卍字填剔黃地，側面、肩則填以雷紋；頸環以蓮瓣紋；唇、頸內壁、腹內壁皆為青銅

大概為御製品：1730～1820
高：6.4 厘米
口經/唇經：0.6/1.8 厘米
蓋：銀，雕鏤絞繩紋一圈上的形式化花朵
狀態敘述：兩面的壽字和周圍的飾紋多有細小的缺口，不引人注目，描金金屬唇呈些擦痕，但描金大體上是狀況良好的

來源：
Rare Art， 紐約（1977年以前）
Mr and Mrs Edmund Prentis III
White Wings 珍藏
Robert Kleiner (1998)
文獻：
《國際中國鼻煙壺協會的學術期刊》Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, 1977年，封面
Kleiner 1997, 編號148
Treasury 7， 編號1543

說明：
這類剔紅鼻煙壺可以推測都是御製品，因為傳世有許多形式、圖案相似的漆煙壺（Treasury 7，編號1538有介紹），一種設計的重複出產反映賜頒用煙壺的需求。與本壺幾乎相同的有Stevens 1976， 編號760（現今為Denis Low珍藏所收，Kleiner 1999， 編號210）；Monimar珍藏的一件Lawrence 1996， 編號216（現今為Franz珍藏所收）；故宮珍藏的一件，李久芳2002，編號397； 與Marquess of Exeter珍藏，Chinese Snuff Bottles 6, 頁14，編號O.29。

本壺各正面有六十個壽字，可能是表明它是賀六十歲大壽的，但誰拜誰的壽，我們可不得而知。