Footnotes

Treasury 6, no. 1444


瓷胎山水刻銘鼻煙壺
朱友麟， 1921年


Following Antiquity

Colourless glaze on porcelain with black pigment; with a convex lip and deeply concave foot surrounded by a convex footrim; engraved on one main side with a scene of rustic dwellings in the right foreground and more buildings set on stilts, in the left middle ground with a view of a river valley, with a small plank bridge crossing near the nearer houses, a narrow band of mist concealing the base of a distant cluster of mountains, between which a waterfall plummets from a high valley, above which is inscribed, 'Following the spirit of Huangheshan qiao, engraved by Youlin on a summer day in the xinyou year', with one seal of the artist, Zhu, and on the other main side with the Liji geyan (Wise sayings of self-encouragement) by Wei Shuzi', in running script, followed by 'Engraved Wei Shuzi's Wise sayings of self encouragement, for the elegant appreciation of Mr. Xiqiao, by Zhu Youlin of Beiping in the mid-summer of the xinyou year', with one seal of the artist, Zhu; the engraving all filled with black pigment; the foot, lip, and interior all glazed; the inner neck left unglazed
Zhu Youlin (1883–1964), mid-summer 1921
Height: 6.59 cm
Mouth/lip: 0.73/1.43 cm
Stopper: glass
Condition: glaze on lip stops a little short of the mouth, leaving a rough edge (original manufacture); perfect condition


Provenance:
John Ault, June 2005
Robert Kleiner, June 2005
Published:
Treasury 6, no. 1444

Commentary:
Mr. Xiqiao is the official and poet Wang Shilu (1625–1673), a contemporary of the author of the inscription engraved here, Wei Xi (1625–1681). Huangheshan qiao, 'Woodcutter of Brownstork Mountain', is the famous Yuan artist, Wang Meng (1308–1385).
The plain white porcelain bottle here is not independently elegant enough to have been made as a plain white bottle in need of no further decoration, at least in the traditional market; it is a simple, flattened form with a slightly clumsy foot covered all over with glaze. Whether or not he ordered them especially for carving (in which case they did not have to stand on their own formal merits), the quality of bottles Zhu was able to get from Jingdezhen (his reputed source) undoubtedly varied over the course of his career.
Zhu Youlin's calligraphic style was more direct and less-well modulated than Zhou Houlai's, using only the degree of modulation given by applying varied pressure and direction to a jagged diamond point. He is said to have combined the use of a diamond cutter and steel blade.
The inscription reads:
Ancient sages [often] gave advice about how to listen to other people's comments. None of them, however, were as succinct as the twenty-one words uttered by Yi Yin. He said [in the translation of James Legge, The Shû King, p. 100, with slight modifications], 'When you hear words that are distasteful to your mind, you must enquire whether they be not in accord with the Dao; when you hear words that accord with your own views, you must enquire whether they be not contrary to the Dao'. Generally speaking, when a person feels everything goes against his wishes, he thinks that is not the Dao. Yet, [at such time] I would look for guidance elsewhere. In this way the Dao would make itself clear. When an average person feels humble, he thinks that must be the Dao. Yet, [at such time] I would look for guidance outside the Dao. In this way the non-Dao would manifest itself. Nowadays people look for guidance outside the Dao when they hear words contrary to their wishes; when they hear humble words they would look for guidance in the Dao. How can they not like flatteries and covering up mistakes? How can they not be attracted more and more to those of low moral conduct and become more and more distanced from the perfect gentlemen?
Yi Yin was a minister who helped Tang, leader of the Shang dynasty, to eliminate Jie, the last ruler of the Xia dynasty. Later, after the death of Tang, he continued to assist the two succeeding rulers in state affairs.


仿王蒙意，錄魏禧言

瓷胎上施無色釉、黑色顏料；凸唇、深凹底、凸形圈足；一面刻繪一幅谷口房屋板橋圖，上題"仿黃鶴山樵大意，辛酉夏日友麟刻"，另一正面刻魏禧（1625～1681）一文："'古人教人聽言，莫精捷於伊尹二十一字，曰："有言逆于汝心，必求諸道，有言遜于汝志，必求諸非道 "。凡人逆心時便覺非道。我卻先從他是道處求，則其道出矣。凡人遜志時，便覺是道，我卻先從非道處求，則其非道出矣。今人逆心，便從非道處求，遜志便從是道處求，安得不好諛護過，小人日親，君子日遠乎？'右刻魏叔子勵己格言為西樵先生雅賞，辛酉仲夏，北平朱友麟刻"，其後刻白文"朱"一字篆印

朱友麟〈1883～1964〉， 1921年仲夏
高：6.59 厘米
口經/唇經：0.73/1.43 厘米
蓋：玻璃
狀態敘述: 施釉原不及口沿，口沿因而不光滑；狀況完善

來源：
John Ault (June 2005)
Robert Kleiner (June 2005)
文獻﹕
Treasury 6， 編號1444

說明：
黃鶴山樵，王蒙（1308～1385）也。西樵先生，王士禎的哥哥王士祿（1625～1673）也，與魏禧同時。

朱友麟刻本壺於"北平"，顯然是民國時期。壺概是給朱友麟刻而作的， 不是他揀出來的舊壺。沒有刻飾，它就太平凡了，連粗陋的足都塗滿了釉。據說，朱友驎選了較好的景德鎮白釉素瓷來刻，但景德鎮瓷器的品格在二十世紀的過程中一定有大起大落。反正，不必憑素瓷煙壺本身的優劣來判斷作品的好壞，眾目睽睽的是朱友驎的刻藝。他既用南方的鉆石刀頭，也用北方的鋼鉆來刻飾，即鏨刻和鐫 刻的結合。