A pair of spinach-green jade ‘narcissus and pine trees’ plaques and cloisonné stands, Qing dynasty, 18th century | 清十八世紀 碧玉雕「四君子」硯屏配掐絲琺瑯座一對

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard K. Crawford.

Sotheby's New York, 1st - 2nd June 1992, lot 63.

This type of table screens, depicting scenes of nature, would have been well-suited for a scholar’s studio to serve as a source of inspiration and a respite from the duties of officialdom. The choice of subject in the plaques of the current screens delivers an auspicious connotation: the prunus, bamboo, and pine trees form the popular ‘Three Friends of Winter’ motif that symbolises fortitude and uprightness in adverse circumstances, and the narcissus conveys wishes for good fortune and prosperity.

Table screens bearing similarly carved floral sprays and plants include a pair with chrysanthemums and peonies among rockwork, sold in our New York rooms, 20th October 1989, lot 289, a pair of white jade examples incised with chrysanthemums and poppies, sold in our New York rooms, 19th September 2001, lot 61, and a further set of four from the De An Tang collection, each plaque incised with a different flower spray and a poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795), included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 22, and sold in these rooms, 9th October 2023, lot 3637.

Stands for table screens were usually made of wood, with zitan stands being particularly prized for their lavish designs during the Qianlong period. Stands made from cloisonné enamel, however, are rarer. A Qianlong green jade circular table screen matched with an elaborate gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel stand can be found in the collection of Lady Wolfson, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition, Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, London, 1975, p. 126, no. 412.

來源

Bernard K. Crawford伉儷收藏

紐約蘇富比1992年6月1 – 2日，編號63

此類硯屏雕刻自然小景，尤宜文人雅士置於書齋，一來可助遐思，暢想天地，二來可供怡情，暫離案牘。細看此對，屏上景觀寓意美好：松、竹、梅合稱「歲寒三友」，象徵堅忍不拔，水仙花亦祝頌福運。

有碧玉硯屏雕折枝花卉，與此對相類，如一對，雕菊花、牡丹與賞石，售於紐約蘇富比1989年10月20日，編號289。此外，可比白玉硯屏一對，刻菊花與虞美人，售於紐約蘇富比2001年9月19日，編號61，及一組四件，德安堂藏，白玉屏上各刻折枝花卉及乾隆御題詩，展於故宮博物院永壽宮，錄《玉緣：德安堂藏玉》，北京，2004年，編號22，後售於香港蘇富比2023年10月9日，編號3637。

硯屏配座多為木造，乾隆朝（1736-1795年）尤好以紫檀為座，工藝精繁；用掐絲琺瑯座者卻不多見。比一乾隆碧玉圓插屏，配掐絲琺瑯座，Wolfson夫人雅蓄，展於東方陶瓷學會，《Chinese Jade throughout the Ages》，倫敦，1975年，頁126，編號412。