Footnotes

清乾隆 御製紫檀嵌碧玉座框銅胎掐絲琺瑯鑲白玉雕壽字紋硯屏一對

Provenance: Sir John William Buchanan-Jardine, 3rd Baronet (1900-1969), London
Spink & Son Ltd., London
An English private collection, with one of the pair of screens acquired from the above on 30 November 1954 (to join the pair to it which was previously separated), and thence by descent

Exhibited and Published: Royal Academy of Arts, International Exhibition of Chinese Art 1935-6, London, 1935, p.245, no.2859

Captain Sir John W. Buchanan-Jardine became, like his family predecessors, the Chairman of Jardine, Matheson & Co. He was among the largest lenders to the Royal Academy of Arts International Exhibition of Chinese Art in Burlington House in 1935-36, his loan including the present pair of screens. The Exhibition remains the most important exhibition of Chinese Art ever held in Europe.

來源：倫敦第三代John William Buchanan-Jardine男爵（1900-1969）舊藏
倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.
英國私人收藏，其一於1954年11月30日購自上者（將兩屏合為一對），並由後人保存迄今

展覽著錄：皇家藝術學院，《中國藝術國際展覽會》，倫敦，1935年，頁245，編號2859

John W. Buchanan-Jardine男爵，如他的家族前輩一樣，曾為怡和洋行（原名渣甸洋行）董事長。同時，他也是1935-36年於英國皇家藝術學院伯靈頓宮舉辦的「中國藝術國際展覽會」最大的借展方之一，並借展了本對硯屏。該展覽仍為歐洲迄今最為重要的中國藝術展覽。

The present lot has sixty Shou (壽) characters on each screen. It is likely therefore, that it was made for the occasion of the Qianlong Emperor's 60th birthday celebration (held on the 1st month of the 35th year of his reign, approximately 1770). The motif of numerous Shou characters (meaning 'longevity') is common for birthday celebrations and appeared as early as the Kangxi reign. See a massive blue and white 'Ten thousand Shou vase, which bears 9,999 Shou characters and one wan character, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2002, pp.8-9, no.5.

See a single related incised celadon jade and lacquer 'longevity' table screen, 18th century, which was sold at Sotheby's Paris, 10 June 2021, lot 101.