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拍品專文
Buddhism flourished during the Qing dynasty, and was encouraged by the devotion of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. As a result of its popularity, the production of Buddhist statuary, ritual objects, vessels and other implements became widespread, and a variety of materials were employed in their manufacture. It is extremely rare to find a complete Buddhist shrine with its original ornaments and the jade Buddhist figures in such an intact and great conservation just as it was designed 300 years ago. As indicated by the gilt inscription on the jade top panel, the present shrine is devoted to Amitayus, the ‘Buddha of Infinite Life’.
The gilt-lacquer ‘pavilion’ structure is a fantastic imitation of the Japanese-style lacquer, also called yangqi, which was highly appreciated and produced at the Imperial workshop under the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. For a discussion on the influence of Japanese lacquer in the Qing court, see Qinggong shihui: Yuancang Riben Qiqi Tezhan, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2002. Numerous Japanese-influenced lacquerwares from the Qing Court collection are recorded in the Palace Museum, Beijing. See an exquisite wrapped lacquer box and cover, illustrated in Harmony and Integrity. The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2009, cat. nos. II-97 and II-98.
Full of symbolism, the craftmanship of the Eight Buddhist Emblems on the structural panels recall the finest work from the Yongzheng-Qianlong period:
The Wheel of Law (falun), the inexorable expansion of the Buddha's teaching; the Conch Shell (luo), majesty, felicitous journey, the voice of the Buddha; the Umbrella (san), spiritual authority, reverence, purity; the Canopy (gai), royal grace; the Lotus (hua), purity, truthfulness in adversity; the Vase (ping), Eternal harmony, the receptacle of lustral water, the nectar of immortality; the Paired Fish (shuangyu), conjugal happiness, fertility, protection, spiritual liberation; the Endless Knot (zhang), eternity.
This altar is also striking for the profusion of rich materials used, characteristic of the best Chinese craftsmanship at the height of the Qing dynasty: lacquer, hard stone (jade, lapis lazuli, tourmaline), painted glass, kingfisher feathers and zitan.
A comparable jade Amitayus (7.7 cm. high), is illustrated in Monarchy and Its Buddhist Way, Tibetan-Buddhist Ritual Implements in the National Palace Museum, National Palace Museum, Taiwan, 1999, no. 29. See another (13.6 cm.) white jade seated Buddha dated to the mid-Qing dynasty, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Yang Boda in Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages, Hong Kong, 1997, no. 103. A slightly larger (21 cm.) seated white jade figure of Pindola, formerly in the Nott Collection, is illustrated in Chinese Jades in the Stanley Charles Nott Collection, West Palm Beach, 1942, pl. XII, where it is dated to the Jiaqing period. A larger white jade Buddha (23.5 cm.) from the Stephen Junkunc III collection, with very similar features to the present example, was sold at Christie's New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1104.
The dedication of this shrine and its outstanding construction both indicate a special imperial commission. As the image of Amitayus is associated with Longevity and harmony, it is possible that this shrine was commissioned to celebrate a special gift for a highly important person.
The gilt-lacquer ‘pavilion’ structure is a fantastic imitation of the Japanese-style lacquer, also called yangqi, which was highly appreciated and produced at the Imperial workshop under the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. For a discussion on the influence of Japanese lacquer in the Qing court, see Qinggong shihui: Yuancang Riben Qiqi Tezhan, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2002. Numerous Japanese-influenced lacquerwares from the Qing Court collection are recorded in the Palace Museum, Beijing. See an exquisite wrapped lacquer box and cover, illustrated in Harmony and Integrity. The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2009, cat. nos. II-97 and II-98.
Full of symbolism, the craftmanship of the Eight Buddhist Emblems on the structural panels recall the finest work from the Yongzheng-Qianlong period:
The Wheel of Law (falun), the inexorable expansion of the Buddha's teaching; the Conch Shell (luo), majesty, felicitous journey, the voice of the Buddha; the Umbrella (san), spiritual authority, reverence, purity; the Canopy (gai), royal grace; the Lotus (hua), purity, truthfulness in adversity; the Vase (ping), Eternal harmony, the receptacle of lustral water, the nectar of immortality; the Paired Fish (shuangyu), conjugal happiness, fertility, protection, spiritual liberation; the Endless Knot (zhang), eternity.
This altar is also striking for the profusion of rich materials used, characteristic of the best Chinese craftsmanship at the height of the Qing dynasty: lacquer, hard stone (jade, lapis lazuli, tourmaline), painted glass, kingfisher feathers and zitan.
A comparable jade Amitayus (7.7 cm. high), is illustrated in Monarchy and Its Buddhist Way, Tibetan-Buddhist Ritual Implements in the National Palace Museum, National Palace Museum, Taiwan, 1999, no. 29. See another (13.6 cm.) white jade seated Buddha dated to the mid-Qing dynasty, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Yang Boda in Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages, Hong Kong, 1997, no. 103. A slightly larger (21 cm.) seated white jade figure of Pindola, formerly in the Nott Collection, is illustrated in Chinese Jades in the Stanley Charles Nott Collection, West Palm Beach, 1942, pl. XII, where it is dated to the Jiaqing period. A larger white jade Buddha (23.5 cm.) from the Stephen Junkunc III collection, with very similar features to the present example, was sold at Christie's New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1104.
The dedication of this shrine and its outstanding construction both indicate a special imperial commission. As the image of Amitayus is associated with Longevity and harmony, it is possible that this shrine was commissioned to celebrate a special gift for a highly important person.