Footnotes

Treasury 7, no. 1572


琥珀刻銘鼻煙壺
汪鑅，1876年


The Hermit's Pebble

Variegated transparent brown, and opaque ochre and black amber; with a flat foot; engraved on one main side in seal script with a dedication Jisou yawan (for the elegant enjoyment of the elderly gentleman, Ji) above an inscription in Han-style clerical script followed by Shishou shanren jike Han ming ([Phrases] assembled from Han inscriptions and engraved by Stone-longevity Hermit), below which is a third inscription in slightly cursive regular script Bingzi qiu Wang Rong zeng zai ji (Gift from Wang Rong, given in the autumn of the bingzi year. [Wang Rong] again added a note.)
Wang Rong, 1876
Height: 5.22 cm
Mouth: 0.56 cm
Stopper: coral; nephrite collar
Condition: Original material: heavily flawed and suffused with black and ochre colouring; a crack that does not appear to be part of the original flawing in the material running down from the mouth on both narrow sides, towards the main side with the inscription, extending nearly 2 cm down either side; one tiny chip immediately below the 'ren' of the name Shishou shanren on the main side with calligraphy; extensive surface wear from handling

Provenance:
Eskenazi, London (circa 1968)
Sydney L. Moss Ltd. (1968)
Margaret Prescott Wise
Edgard and Roberta Wise (1995)
Robert Kleiner (1996)

Published:
Sin, Hui, and Kwong 1996, no. 248
Treasury 7, no. 1572

Exhibited:
The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, October 1996

Commentary:
For Wang Rong, who signed with the sobriquet Shishou shanren (Stone Longevity Hermit), see Treasury 7, no. 1571, where others are cited. One has been subsequently published from the Denis Low Collection (Sanctum Three, no. 273).

This is a typical work by Wang Rong, with its superb control of the iron-brush, and various scholarly inscriptions in different scripts. Choice of material, style and quality of the engraving are all commensurate with his other known works. Along with Wang Baishi, the hornbill and amber carver of the Daoguang period, Wang Rong ranks among the most important and intriguing of the early-nineteenth-century scholar-decorators of snuff bottles.

With imperial or commercial production of snuff bottles, artists and craftsmen were involved in producing their wares complete, ready to be used and without any expectation of them accruing additional decoration of any kind. Once the decoration of snuff bottles became fashionable among the literati, however, things changed radically. All scholars were calligraphers, by definition, since one could not pass the necessary series of examinations that opened the way to an official career and literate society without at least adequate calligraphy. Many were also seal carvers, adept with the iron-brush, and poets and painters. With such skills at their disposal, a scholar could pick up any of a range of softer materials and simply engrave a design or inscription directly onto the surface. To some artists this became a regular pastime and sometimes even a profession. In many other cases, however, bottles resulted from the occasional random artistic urge and were far more whimsical.

There is a class of social gathering beloved of the literati over the centuries known as a yaji (elegant gathering). Members of the influential minority would be invited to spend time together being lavishly entertained in the home or estate of one of them, devoting their time to elegant pursuits. Apart from eating and drinking, there might be poetry competitions, and other games, dancing, playing various musical instruments, writing calligraphy or painting (often involving more than one of the participants in joint works). The idea was to encourage creativity in any field, and to allow artists to inter-react with each other and find inspiration in the presence and ideas of fellow artists. At any such gathering in the latter part of the Qing dynasty, snuff would be taken and snuff bottles passed around among the guests.

It is not difficult to imagine a possible scenario for the decoration of this bottle if Wang Rong attended such an elegant gathering and was offered snuff from a plain, pebble-amber snuff bottle by a friend. After taking the snuff, perhaps on his own snuff dish stored in a pouch at his belt, he would replace the stopper and admire the material, perhaps commenting that the markings reminded him of the patina he had seen on some bronzes from the collection of Ruan Yuan recently. Knowing his skills with the iron-brush, his friend might press him to inscribe the bottle for him, calling to one of the host's many servants hovering nearby to bring a set of seal-carving tools, which would always be at hand on such occasions along with whatever else creative minds might need in order to express themselves.

Moved by the moment, and perhaps a little tipsy from drinking forfeit cups during the poetry game, Wang Rong might set about engraving a text he recalled having seen (or he might call for a copy of a published catalogue of ancient bronze inscriptions, many were extant at the time and standards in a scholar's library - it might even have been Ruan Yuan's publication that was brought to him). By this time a little group would have gathered around to watch, perhaps offer suggestions, and encourage the engraver, and Wang Rong would be performing to an audience, which often lifts an artist to unexpected heights at such gatherings.

The added inscription might have taken less than half an hour to complete, from the suggestion of the owner that Wang inscribe it, through the process of finding an exemplar, through the performance itself, to its presentation back to the owner upon completion. But because of its literati resonance, and our ability to identify the engraver and learn something of his personality and accomplishments, those whimsical few moments produced a work of art in the snuff-bottle world which takes on immensely greater significance than the original amber bottle ever had, and becomes one of our most important treasures.

The four auspicious phrases Wang engraved for his friend read are typical ones found singly or in groups on Han and other early mirrors, bricks, and roof tiles. But they can be put together to form a double recipe for success in life:
A prosperous life befits the production of good writings;
Avoid bad influences and enjoy endless happiness.

石壽山人刻琥珀，贈遺寄叟玩銘章

透明棕色、不透明赭石色、黑色斑駁琥珀；平底；一正面刻"寄叟雅玩"篆款、"壽命昌，宜文章，辟不羊，樂未央"篆銘、"石壽山人集刻漢銘" 款、"丙子秋汪鑅贈再記" 楷款

汪鑅，1876
長：5.22厘米
口經：0.56 厘米
蓋：珊瑚，閃玉座
狀態敘述：材料：瑕疵多，赭石色與黑色斑紋亦多；兩側面靠刻字一正面有從口沿延伸近2厘米的裂縫，疑非原料所具；"人"字下有微小的缺口；因累年的撫摩，器面耗損跡象不少

來源：
乔瑟普．埃斯肯纳茨 (Giuseppe Eskenazi，約1968）
Sydney L. Moss, Ltd (1968)
Margaret Prescott Wise
Edgard and Roberta Wise (1995)
Robert Kleiner (1996)
文獻﹕
冼祖謙、許建勳、鄺溥銘 1996， 編號248
Treasury 7，編號1572
展覽﹕
徐氏藝術館，香港，1996年10 月

說明：
汪鑅（1817～1882），湖南寧鄉人。原名汪蔚，一作汪嶸，字嘯霞，號石壽山人。精鐫碑版，善篆刻。他與道光年間犀鳥雕師白石都是十九世紀最吸引人的雕藝家之二。參見Treasury 7，編號1571論述與Treasury 7出版後問世的Low 2007，編號273。

本壺所刻的"壽命昌，宜文章，辟［避］不羊［祥］，樂未央"都是秦漢鏡銘、磚銘典型的吉祥辭語。把他們拼湊， 就成"昌盛的長生適宜於寫文作詩；回避不吉祥的事物就能享有無盡的快樂"的意思。可能是汪鑅值文士雅集之際而刻的煙壺。