Footnotes

清嘉慶 御製碧玉虯龍戲珠鈕「水木湛清華」璽

Provenance 來源:
An English private collection
According to the family, the seal was gifted to the late father of the present owner prior to 1994.

英國私人收藏；傳於1994年前由友人贈予現藏家之父親

The important and rare spinach green jade 'shui mu zhan qing hua' seal belongs to a set of three imperial jade seals, with the other two bearing the inscriptions 清暉閣 Qinghuige and 雲日相暉映 yun ri xiang hui ying. This set of seals is recorded in The Palace Museum, 清代帝后璽印譜Qingdai dihou xiyin pu [Catalogue of Imperial Seals of the Qing Dynasty], vol.9, Jiaqing section 2, Beijing, 2005, p.150.

This set of seals was used for and within the Qinghuige, a summer retreat located in the western part of the 九州清晏 Jiuzhouqingyan, a tranquil and scenic island within the Yuanmingyuan.

First constructed during the Kangxi period, the Qinghuige was purposefully built as part of the imperial family's living and leisure quarters. It was also the designated place for the celebration of the Lantern Festival during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods. Extremely private and secluded, this highly secured area was reserved solely for the use of the emperor and members of the imperial family. Special permits were required for officials and servants to enter; see He Yan, '再現圓明園－九洲清晏（下）Zaixian Yuanmingyuan-Jiuzhouqingyan (Third)',《紫禁城》Zijincheng, Beijing, Jan 2012, pp.26 and 37.

Similarly to the Sanxitang ('Hall of Three Rarities'), the Qinghuige was another imperial space of personal importance to the Qianlong emperor. He enjoyed playing musical instruments and performing tea ceremonies there. His clear affection for the retreat is evident in the emperor's special commissioning of several imperial paintings recording the scenery of the summer retreat in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by by Liao Baoxiu, 茶韻茗事－故宮茶話 Chayun mingshi-Gugong chahua, Taipei, 2010, pp.156 and 159. These include:

Two paintings by Zhang Zongcang 張宗蒼, the first titled 弘曆松蔭揮筆圖Hongli songyin huibi tu [Hongli writing under pine trees]and the second titled 弦曆撫琴圖 Hongli fuqian tu [Hongli Playing Qin], both cyclically dated to 癸酉 guiyou, corresponding to 1753;

A painting by Dong Bangda 董邦達, titled 弘曆松蔭消夏圖(山靜日長圖) Hongli songyin xiaoxia tu (shan jing ri zhang tu) [Hongli spending summer under pine trees], cyclically dated to 甲子 jiazi, corresponding to 1744.

Following in his father's footsteps, the Qinghuige continued to be a preferred favourite of the Jiaqing emperor. The emperor recorded his personal fondness and affection for the pavilion in an imperial poem, cyclically dated to 甲子 jiazi, corresponding to 1804, titled 《清暉閣晚坐吟》 Qinghuige wanzuo yin ('Recitation While Sitting in the Night at the Qinghuige'); see 清仁宗御制詩 Qing Renzong Imperial Poetry, vol.3, Haikou, 2000, p.19.

The first seven verses may be translated as follows:

'Unsurpassed Imperial garden for retreat during the hot summer
Dense pine trees overshadowing the blazing sunlight
Grand and tall where the air is fresh
Gusts of light breeze flow through the long corridors
In good spirits with heart at peace,
Visiting occasionally to recite at this artistic haven
A place where one would find contentment'

A further recording of his time spent in the retreat whilst reading the first two chapters of a book on politics titled 《資治通鑑》 zizhi tongjian, provides us with a priceless and intimate insight into the emperor's state of mind and the importance of the Qinghuige to him. The record begins with a description of the pavilion and his fondness for it, and is followed by his thoughts on governance, noting his insights on qualities a leader should have. This record, cyclically dated wuchen zhongfu ri, 戌辰中伏日, corresponding to 28 July 1808, is included in the imperial manuscript 《清暉閣觀書記》 Qinghuige guanshu ji [Reading at Qinghuige], published in 秘殿珠林石渠寶笈三編 Midian zhulin shiqu baoji sanbian, vol.8, Taipei, 1969, pp.3636-3637.

The first seven verses may be translated as follows:

'Qinghuige, west of the sleeping chambers
Standing grand and tall, both air and incense flows
Far reaching views through many layers
Sitting quietly for a few moments
Viewing the serene landscapes, anxiety dissipates
Entering a tranquil realm
Mind and body become one'

The eloquent prose and the evocative record of the Jiaqing emperor's thoughts reflect the lifelong relentless duty he felt towards his people, that laid heavily on the shoulders, and his continuous perseverance to improve his rule. It also demonstrates the importance of the retreat as one of few places where he could take a pause, 'sit quietly for a few moments' and enter a spiritual place of tranquillity, though even in those few treasured moments the emperor's mind was not far from his duty.

The phrase 水木湛清華 shui mu zhan qing hua, inscribed on the present jade seal, which may be translated as 'Tranquil water and luxuriant trees in the garden', are an allusion to the landscape scenery of the Qinghuige. The phrase originates in an Eastern Jin dynasty poem by Xie hun, entitled, 遊西池詩 You xichi shi. The poem addresses the temporality of life through describing the surrounding scenery:

悟彼蟋蟀唱，信此勞者歌。
有來豈不疾，良遊常蹉跎。
逍遙越城肆，願言屢經過。
迴阡被陵闕，高台眺飛霞。
惠風盪繁囿，白雲屯曾阿。
景昃鳴禽集，水木湛清華。
褰裳順蘭沚，徙倚引芳柯。
美人愆歲月，遲暮獨如何？
無為牽所思，南榮戒其多。

The Qinghuige was demolished during the early Daoguang period and the area was reconstructed into new pavilions. It is therefore likely that the seal would have been removed for safe keeping, probably within the Forbidden City.

A unique work of art, the present seal is one of the few surviving imperial artefacts that documents the existence and beauty of the Qinghuige, a personal space of tranquillity for the Qianlong and Jiaqing emperors.

The continuation of artistic styles and decorative designs on imperial artefacts from the Qianlong period, such as the present lot, expresses the Jiaqing emperor's reverence and filial duty to his father's reign. This direct visual continuation from the former to the latter reign is demonstrated in seals of similar form and design dated to the Qianlong reign period: see from the Qing Court Collection, an imperial green jade 'Xin qing wen miao xiang' seal, Qianlong (6.7cm high), illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City: Imperial Seals of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 2008, pl.193; for another imperial greyish-green seal, Qing dynasty, of similar design of crouching dragon with its feet pointing in different directions, inscribed 'Chizheng wanmin zhi bao' (12.6cm long x 10.4cm high), see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Ancient Seals, Shanghai, 2008, pl.394. Compare also, from the British Museum, an imperial grey jade 'zi qian bu xi' seal, 18th century (5.7cm wide x 8.8cm high; museum ref.no.1885,1227.65), which entered the museum's collection in 1885. Sets of three imperial seals were particularly favoured during the late Qianlong period, especially for his 80th birthday, with this style of grouping continuing onto the Jiaqing period.

Compare a related imperial spinach green jade 'hui qi you ji' seal, Jiaqing, (7cm high), sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 5 October 2011, lot 1910.

此璽為嘉慶帝組璽中的其中一方，此組寶璽共計三方，其他兩方分別為「清暉閣」璽及「雲日相暉映」璽，此三方寶均在北京故宮博物院藏《清代帝後璽印譜》中有所著錄，見故宮博物院編，《清代帝後璽印譜：第九冊，嘉慶卷二》，北京，2005年，頁150。

此組寶璽應屬嘉慶皇帝在圓明園九洲清晏內清暉閣中使用的嘉言詩詞類寶璽。清暉閣建造於康熙年間，位於圓明園九洲清晏西側，是九洲清晏景區西路的主要建築之一，也是雍正乾隆年間元宵節張燈慶賞之所，至道光中期西路大規模改建後此閣才不復存在。因歷代帝王均在此處寢局遊賞，使得九洲清晏島成為園內防範最森嚴的禁區，見賀艷，「再現圓明園3：九洲清晏（下）」，刊於《紫禁城》，北京，2012年1月，頁26-27。

乾隆年間，清暉閣亦是清高宗弘曆讀書品茗、撫琴養心的私人產所，並曾命宮廷畫師繪其在此讀書品茗的記實畫作，這包括張宗蒼於乾隆十八年（1753年）所繪的「弘歷松蔭揮筆圖」以及「弘歷撫琴圖」；董邦達於乾隆九年（1744年）所繪的「弘歷松蔭消夏圖（山靜日長圖）」，見廖寶秀著，《茶韻茗事：故宮茶話》，台北，2010年，頁156-159，圖7，9及10。

至嘉慶一朝，清暉閣依然是清仁宗颙琰避暑修心、讀書靜思之所，從嘉慶皇帝本人於清暉閣所詩詞中即可見：如作嘉慶九年（1804年）的《清暉閣晚坐吟》中記有「御園第一避暑地，喬松密蔭遮驕陽。棟宇深邃氣清潔，涼飔習習來修廊。幾餘養志宜靜攝，偶遊藝府吟短章。為君奚可有所好，一人動靜天下望......」，見《清仁宗御製詩二集》卷五，海南出版社，2000年，頁19。

又如嘉慶十三年（1808年）所作《御筆清暉閣觀書記》中記有：「清暉閣在寢殿西偏，高爽延熏，幽深障景。機睱靜坐，遠屏煩歊。境界清涼，心神融會。日取資治通鑑一二冊觀之，周而復始，默有所得......」

詩中字字句句無不體現嘉慶皇帝勤政圖治卻又憂國憂民的思緒，更可看出清暉閣作為其寧心靜思的私人場所的重要性。

「水木湛清華」典出東晉謝琨「游西池」，形容山水草木之美，明清兩代園林即常襲用「清華」二字為名。值得注意的是，此方寶上第四字「清」與《清代帝後璽印譜》中著錄第二方第四字「暉」恰是「清暉」，更證明三方印璽應是成組製作。

嘉慶一朝之皇家御用品多承乾隆之風，而印璽作為宮廷典章用玉，大多為皇帝親自使用。此類私印性質寶璽的製作與設計通常都由皇帝親旨執行，為宮中造辦處所刻。此璽印鈕蛟龍雕刻風格與乾隆一朝類似，而也很有可能在清暉閣改建後被轉移至其他地方保存。具有同類風格的印璽，詳見清宮舊藏一枚碧玉盤龍「心清聞妙香」方形璽，著錄於《故宮經典:明清帝后寶璽》，北京，2008年，圖版193。另見清宮舊藏一枚「敕正萬民之寶」盤龍寶璽，著錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系：璽印》，上海，2008年，圖版394。另資參考大英博物館藏一件18世紀「自強不息」寶璽（寬5.7厘米，高8.8厘米，館藏編號1885,1227.65），此印璽於1885年被博物館徵集入館。

另參考一枚清嘉慶「會其有極」蛟龍鈕印璽，後於香港蘇富比售出，2011年10月5日，編號1910。

Please refer to the e-catalogue for an article by Guo Fuxiang.
請查看電子圖錄以閱覽郭福祥先生對此拍品之相關論述。