清十九世紀 黃楊木浮雕「雲龍逐珠」圖扇骨 扇骨：《行有恒堂製》款 扇面：《庚辰夏六月湛如馬晉》《庚辰立秋張伯英》款

the elaborately carved boxwood ends decorated on one end in relief with ferocious five-clawed dragons chasing after ‘flaming pearls’ amidst scrolling clouds, one mount inscribed in relief in regular script Xingyouheng tang zhi (‘Made for the Hall of Constancy’), the pommel of hongmu with tortoiseshell protective plates and pin, the paper fan painted in ink and colour on one side, dedicated to Picheng, dated and signed in clerical script gengchen xia liuyue Zhanru Ma Jin (‘Zhanru Ma Jin in summer, the sixth month of the gengchen year’, corresponding to 1940), followed by two seals reading Ma Jin and Boyi, the reverse inscribed in running script, the dedication, date and signature reading shi Yuewei Caotang yan wei Picheng xiansheng shu, gengchen liqiu Zhang Boying (‘Trying out a Yuewei Caotang inkstone, For Peicheng at the beginning of autumn in the gengchen year, Zhang Boying’, corresponding to 1940), with two seals of the artist

The fan and the mounts are in overall very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Xingyouheng Tang ('Hall of Constancy') belonged to the fifth Prince Ding, Zaichuan, who was a great-great-grandson of the Qianlong emperor and inherited the title upon the death of his father in 1836. For his biography see Arthur W. Hummel, Eminent Chinese of the Ch’ing Period, Vol. II, Taipei, 1991, pp. 728-29. Zaichuan was a keen collector and connoisseur of art, with many objects in his collection inscribed with his hall mark. The original painting in this fan frame was replaced around 1940 with the work of Ma Jin (1899-1970), a native of Beijing, who was a prominent artist, known especially for his paintings of horses.

The dedicatory inscription at the end of the calligraphy on the back of the painting records it was written in the Yuewei Caotang by Zhang Boying. The Yuewei Caotang was the Beijing residence of Ji Yun (1724-1805), also known as Ji Xiaolan or Ji Chunlan, a well-known scholar of the early Qing dynasty. The identity of Peicheng remains a matter of debate as there are a number of recorded people of this name.

The first poem on the fan is by Zhou Shu who became a jinshi in 1404. It was written for a painting of a dragon and, as presented on the fan. The second poem is by Yu Ji (1272-1348).