An imperial inscribed white jade bottle 'dragon' vase Qing dynasty, Yuzhi mark and period of Qianlong | 清乾隆 白玉鏤雕螭龍紋瓶

Collection of Major R. W. Cooper.

Christie's, London, 29th April 1963, lot 23.

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R. W. Cooper 少校珍藏

倫敦佳士得，1963年4月29日，編號23

The poetic inscription on the vase can read: Lines of Poetry by His Majesty [Qianlong]

Solitary Rock and Dark Green Bamboo

By a black ox in passing shower, its mossy coat moist,

Green phoenixes clatter in a breeze, Shun’s and Tang’s music.

Here snow white elegant feelings earnestly pledge to meet,

Steadfastly so quiet that venerable purity remains intact.

This poem is recorded in the Yuzhi shiji御製詩集 (Poetry Collection by His Majesty), Erji二集 (Second Collection) (Zhejiang fanke ben 浙江翻刻本 (Zhejiang reprint edition, 1749-1771), 8:23b

The poem can be dated to between 18 March – 15 May,1749. It is the second of two poems entitled “Little Paintings by Dong Bangda 董邦達 [1696-1769]”. Dong’s painting album is recorded in the imperial painting catalogue Shiqu baoji xubian 石渠寶笈續編 (Stone Canal Bamboo Treasure Box, Supplemental Edition) (Xuxiu Siku quanshu 續修四庫全書 ed.), 84:500a: 董邦達寫意山水一冊 “Dong Bangda Sketching the Idea of a Landscape”, an album.

(Volume of paintings) A work on high quality Xuancheng [Anhui] paper, twelve facing paintings, each 2.1 inches high and 1.8 inches wide. Pale to colorless paintings, each with a title: 1, “Empty Pavilion on a Forested Mountain”, 2. “Single Rock and Dark Green Bamboo”. . . . By the subject Bangda, facing paintings; notation by Jinsu [Qian Lin錢林(1762-1825)].

The emperor’s poem celebrates the absolute serenity expressed by a little scene, which depicts a rock, as lustrous as black ox hide wet by the rain, and bamboos, as elegant as green phoenix feathers. He imagines that a breeze makes the bamboo rustle, their clatter suggesting the ancient music of the “Shao” of King Shun, and the “Huo” of King Tang. It is a place for the pure of heart and mind to meet, where its purity is matched by the sensibilities of those who come to enjoy its serenity. It is significant that the Qianlong emperor had the poem inscribed on the white jade bottle vase, for the purity of its colour and pristine simplicity of design echo the content of the poem.

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御製詩句

孤石蒼筠

青牛經雨莓苔潤

綠鳯因風韶濩鏗

氷雪雅懐深契處

介然静復灑然清

御製詩集, 二集

浙江翻刻本

本詩為清代文官董邦達(1696-1769)《山水小幀其二》之作。創作時間約莫於公元1749年三月18日至五月15日之間。董邦達之作編錄於清宮書畫專書《石渠寶笈續編》中。

乾隆皇帝在詩中描述了一處細微景觀，一石經雨濕潤，亮如青牛之皮，而碧竹優雅，一如綠色鳳羽，他稱頌的是此景所表達的極致寧靜。 在他的想像中，微風吹動竹林發出的搖曳之聲，讓人想起的是舜的韶樂和湯的濩樂。 這是心懷純粹相合之處，而唯有來此賞其寧靜的人們才有這樣的感性與之相契。 乾隆皇帝令人將這首詩銘刻於白色玉瓶之上，其中大有深意，玉瓶色彩純凈而圖案古樸，這樣的設計正好應和了詩歌的內容。