An exceptional imperial gilt-inscribed zitan-mounted white jade 'chilong and phoenix' disc, bi, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, the stand dated to the bingxu year of the Qianlong period (corresponding to 1766) | 清乾隆 御製紫檀雕龍興致雲嵌龍鳳紋玉璧插屏 《丙戌小春上澣御題》款、「叢雲」印

A French private collection, formed circa 1860s, and thence by descent.

Ivoire Chartres, 28th October 2012, lot 88.

法國私人收藏，約1860年代入藏，後於家族傳承

Ivoire Chartres 2012年10月28日，編號88

Nicolas Chow, The Literati Aesthetic, Hong Kong, 2018, pls 5-6.

仇國仕，《無盡意》，香港，2018年，圖版5-6

The Zitan Mounted "Dragon and Phoenix" Jade Bi Inscribed by Emperor Qianlong

Guo Fuxiang

The Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty rivals any other heyday of art collection in history in terms of art collection and appreciation. The Qianlong Emperor himself is undoubtedly one of the greatest imperial collectors in Chinese history. His collections are much more diverse and comprehensive in many respects and continue to exert a significant impact on the present time. The pursuit and creation of jade artefacts is one of the most important parts of art appreciation and collection in the imperial court of the Qianlong period. It is no exaggeration to say that most of the surviving collection of jades in the Qing court collection were collected, produced, and incorporated into the court collection in the Qianlong period. When looking back at the history of imperial jade pieces during the Qianlong era, we can see a trend that a great number of jade pieces were combined with court furniture and interior decoration, which were kept and used as decoration in various halls of the palace, thus greatly extending the uses of jade ware in the court. Among them, the jade-inserted table screen developed into a category of interior furnishings, demonstrating a new phenomenon in the collection, production, and usage of imperial jade pieces in the Qianlong period. The present lot - a piece of Zitan Mounted "Dragon and Phoenix" Jade bi inscribed by the Qianlong Emperor - is a masterpiece perfectly explaining this phenomenon.

The present table screen is made of zitan or rosewood, which is 26.5 cm high, 18.5 cm wide and 12 cm thick, and the inserted jade bi disc is 13.5 cm in diameter. The four corner spandrels (chajiao) of the screen are elegantly carved with clouds and dragons, the tall spandrels (zhanya) detailed with squatting dragons, the slanted apron (pishui ya) and the base supports (didun) embossed with one-legged dragons (kui), and the panels (huantaoban) carved with auspicious cloud patterns. A piece of jade bi is placed in the centre of the screen where a large circular aperture is pierced. The jade bi is white, warm, and pure, with intricate carvings on both sides. The front is carved in reliefs with coiled dragons (chilong) and cloud patterns, while the back is covered with dual-phoenix sculpted reliefs. The coiled dragon, looming amid the intricately patterned clouds, has a triangular head, an S-shape body, and robust-looking limbs. The phoenix is decorated with a curled tail which is forked like creeping weed. In the centre of the jade bi sits a circular zitan wood boss, which can be mortised and fixed to the back panel of the screen. The trigram qian flanked by a pair of stylised dragons on the wood boss is an emblem of the Qianlong Emperor, which can be seen in his imperial seals. The back panel of the screen can be moved up and down for inserting the jade bi. The circular aperture on the back is carved in gold with inscriptions written by the emperor, ending with the imperial inscription in the early tenth month of the bingwu year (Bingwu xiaochun shanghuan yuti), which means the early tenth month of the thirty-first year of the Qianlong reign (1766). Beneath the imperial inscription, it is engraved with the emperor's small seals of cloud cluster (Cong Yun). A character jia (甲, which means grade A) is carved in gold in the bottom center of the base of the table screen. The table screen is created in a standard manner with exquisite carvings. The jade bi and the zitan mounting are joined into an integrated whole and complement each other, representing a very high level of artistic achievement and a strong flavour of imperial life.

To better understand this jade bi-inserted table screen, the relevant issues are sorted out as follows: Firstly, the innovative integration of jade and furnishings during the Qianlong period led to the creation of jade-inserted table screens. This new form became a staple in imperial jade collections. The progression of this evolution is explicit, offering insights into the understanding of such objects. In the third month of the tenth year of the Qianlong reign, "on the fourth day, the treasurer Bai Shixiu reported, the eunuch Hu Shijie handed in a rectangular Han jade tablet with the motif of dragons. By Imperial Order: make a table screen for the jade bi. On the second day of the twelfth month, the seventh grade official Samuha handed in a dragon-patterned rectangular Han jade tablet inserted in a zitan table screen. It was presented to the emperor by the eunuch Hu Shijie."[1] This is the earliest documentation the author has come across on the production of the jade-inserted zitan table screen in Records of the Qing Imperial Workshops (Qinggong zaobanchu huoji dang). Thereafter, this jade-inserted table screen served as a model for producing similar objects, such as the bottle-styled zitan mounting made for the combination of white marble bi with rectangular spirals and Han jade elephant in the eleventh year of the Qianlong reign. The zitan mounting produced to match the core of a table screen was made from unclear materials in the twenty-third year of the Qianlong reign; both are produced in accordance with the style and manufacturing method of this Han-dynasty jade bi mounted in a zitan table screen. This period was still under the stage of sporadic production. From the twenty-sixth year of the Qianlong reign (1761), the jade-inserted zitan table screens began to be produced on a large scale. Each year, there were a considerable number of products, among which, the zitan table screens inserted with jade bi were in the majority and seemed most unique. Just take the thirty-first year of the Qianlong reign, when the imperial inscribed jade bi mounted in a zitan table screen was produced, as an example. According to Records of the Qing Imperial Workshops, there were thirteen such pieces in total. The orders to produce these jade-inserted table screens were given by the Qianlong Emperor himself. The inserted jade bi came from the Forbidden City, the Old Summer Palace and other imperial palaces, while most of the materials used to make the screens were zitan. This involved a stringent process before production, such as making the model screen (hepaiyang), submitting for approval, producing in accordance with the approved sample and then presenting the artefact to the emperor, and some of them were even to be handed over to the Maoqin Hall for engraving poems, which fully demonstrated the Qianlong Emperor's decisive role in the production of such inserted jade bi.

Secondly, in the Archives (Qinggong zaobanchu huojidang), the production of this screen table is traceable, and the related records are in line with the material object. According to the Archives, in the sixth month of the thirty-first year of the Qianlong reign, "on the twenty-first day, Cuichang Side and Bitieshi Wude (both are the names of the official positions) reported that the eunuch Hu Shijie handed in: a white jade gong bi with the “dragon and phoenix” motif, a wooden mounting and a wooden box. By Imperial Order: make a table screen. Submit the model first. On the first day of the seventh month, Cuichang Side and Bitieshi Wude presented a piece of white jade gong bi with the 'dragon and phoenix' motif, along with its table screen model, to the eunuch Hu Shijie for the emperor's approval. By Imperial Order: make it according to the model. On the third day of the tenth month, Bitieshi Wude presented the white jade gong bi with the “dragon and phoenix” motif matched with a table screen to the eunuch Hu Shijie for the emperor's approval."[2] The jade bi described in the archives is essentially consistent with the jade bi mounted in an imperial inscribed zitan table screen in Sotheby's catalogue. Firstly, it is made of white jade. The present jade bi is different from ordinary Han jade, as there are significant differences in the respect of senses. Such a direct reference to the material of white jade is rarely found in the related records of Jade bi. Secondly, it contains the "dragon and phoenix" themed motif. The clearly documented "dragon and phoenix" patterned jade bi is relatively uncommon in the imperial collection, and the words "dragon and phoenix" in the archives reveals the significant decorative feature of it. Thirdly, people's perception of the size of the jade bi can be indicated from the word gong bi (large jade). It implies that the present jade bi is somewhat larger in size than others and it has a "soft" quality, which is also consistent with the 13.5 cm diameter of this jade bi in Sotheby's catalogue. In addition, the finish date of the "dragon and phoenix" patterned jade bi mounted in a table screen recorded in the archives is consistent with the date of the Qianlong Emperor's inscription on the back panel of this "dragon and phoenix" patterned jade bi mounted in a zitan table screen collected by Sotheby's. The former was presented to the Qianlong Emperor on the third day of the tenth month of the thirty-first year of the Qianlong reign. The latter was inscribed by the emperor in the early tenth month of the bingwu year (Bingwu xiaochun shanghuan) - the early tenth month of the thirty-first year of the Qianlong reign (1766). In summary, it is reasonable to believe that the jade-inserted table screen recorded in the archives is the "dragon and phoenix" patterned jade bi mounted in a table screen to be offered by Sotheby's.

Meanwhile, the text of Qianlong's inscription and the actual decoration of the inserted jade bi are highly consistent, indicating the emperor's cognition of the present jade bi. On the back panel of the "dragon and phoenix" patterned jade bi mounted in a table screen collected by Sotheby's, there is an imperial inscription by the Qianlong Emperor: "The dragon flies to the sky; the clouds breathe out. The phoenix soars into the air, bringing great fortunate. Nourish everything with rain and the gentle wind. Bless a bountiful grain harvest as an auspicious artefact." The first four lines of the inscription describe the "dragon and phoenix" motif of the present jade bi. The first two lines (龍興致雲，觸石膚寸) describe how the dragons rise in the air and breathe out clouds, and then the clouds form a sea of clouds, corresponding to the corned dragon (chilong) and cloud motif on the front of the jade bi. In the second two lines (亦有九苞，負厚以運), the term "九苞" refers to the phoenix, a magic bird carrying fortune, corresponding to the dual-phoenix motif on the back of the jade bi. The fifth and sixth lines (潤以甘澍，培以和風) show the roles of the dragon and phoenix in the thematic motifs. The dragon flies to provide cloud and rain, nurturing the earth with timely rainfall, while the phoenix soars and creates winds, brushing the land like spring breezes. The moral is good weather for the crops. The last two lines (蔭穀表瑞，視此握中) reveals the Qianlong Emperor's cognition of jade bi. It was seen as an auspicious artefact for a good harvest, as well as a symbol of praying for a prosperous year. This is in line with the emperor's consistent view. Jade bi is one of the categories that the Qianlong Emperor paid close attention to in the process of collecting and appreciating jade pieces. In his lifetime, he composed as many as 110 poems on the subject of Jade bi.[3] Through these poems, the Qianlong Emperor managed to express his commitment to the important idea of ancient China: "Jade is capable enough to protect grain from being damaged by drought and flood [4], so it is precious. "From the twenty-fourth year of the Qianlong reign, when the emperor prayed at the Altar of Land and Grain for rain, it was customary for him to "specially order related departments to use jade for the pray".[5] The significance of the present white jade bi with dragon and phoenix motif was enhanced by the emperor's inscription. Thus, the Qianglong Emperor's inscription highly correspond to the inserted jade bi' s dragon and phoenix pattern. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the inscription of the Qianlong Emperor on the back panel of this table screen was created especially for the present white jade bi with "dragon and phoenix" pattered. It also suggests that all components of the present jade bi-inserted table screen remain unchanged in the original state.

Finally, it is the typicality demonstrated in this jade bi-inserted table screen. The jade-inserted table screen, particularly the jade bi-inserted table screen, is a composite handicraft formed and well-developed during the Qianlong period. During the course of production, certain elements that the Qianlong Emperor was keen on had gradually developed, including the emperor's poems or inscriptions engraved on the jade bi and table screens as well as the central wood boss carved with the trigram qian. There are a few additional details to which equal attention should be paid. For example, on the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month of the thirty-first year of the Qianlong reign, the back panel of a Han jade bi-inserted zitan table screen displayed in the Cuiyun Pavilion cracked and was sent to the Imperial Workshops for repair. In order to ensure the quality of the finished product, the Qianlong Emperor issued a special decree: "The cracked backboard should be reinforced with a belt, and all subsequent similar works should also be processed in this way."[6] After that, the decree of the Qianlong Emperor was carefully followed in the succeeding handicraft work. As we have seen, the back panel of this "dragon and phoenix" patterned white jade gong bi-inserted zitan table screen, which was made one month after the Qianlong Emperor's imperial decree was issued, is connected by such a belt. For the jade works which were part of the imperial collection, the Qianlong Emperor often authenticated and graded them personally, and "all articles made of copper or jade were given a grade such as jia and yi". Now among the survived jade artefacts in the imperial collection, most of them are inscribed with the serial numbers of jia, yi, bing (grade A, B or C), which is a proof of such authentication processes. At the bottom of the base of this "dragon and phoenix" patterned white jade gong bi-inserted zitan table screen, there is an engraved character of jia (甲), attesting to the existence of this type of authentication. All the aforesaid aspects are perfectly reflected in this table screen, making this lot typical and representative of the jade bi-inserted table screens made by the Qianlong Emperor's order, which can be regarded as the finest of its kind.

In addition, there is one more thing that deserves special attention here. As was customary, the Qianlong Emperor's imperial inscriptions are normally included in the collection of his poems and essays, but the inscription on this jade bi is missing from the Qianlong Emperor's poetry collections. In reality, this is not an uncommon practice. The court collection contains examples of imperial inscriptions that are not included in the collection of imperial poems and essays, such as the coined dragon-carved grey jade bi mounted on the table screen with zitan base collected in the Palace Museum in Beijing. On the back panel of the screen, there is the imperial inscription which can be translated as follows: "The uncut jade from Hetian seems warm and brilliant. Carve it into a fine jade disc so that I can appreciate. Three coined dragons fly in the sky and breathe out. Bring clouds and rains with a sincere heart. Bless the harvest of grain and prosperity of the land." It is also absent from the collection of the emperor's poems and essays. Even the very important imperial inscriptions, such as those written by the Qianlong Emperor for liugui (six auspicious jades) and engraved on the four sides of a zitan box called "Zhaohua Biaode" used for holding two groups of the above-mentioned jade gui (each group contains six pieces), produced in the fourteenth year of Qianlong's reign and housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing and the National Palace Museum in Taipei respectively, are not included in the collection of his imperial poems and essays.[7] Knowing it help us make a basic judgement and understanding of this jade bi-inserted table screen.

[1] The First Historical Archives of China, Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong: Zaobanchu Archives of the Qing Imperial Household Department (qinggong neiwufu zaobanchu danganzonghui), (the "Archives") vol. 14, p. 128, the tenth month of the tenth year of the Qianlong reign, "Cantonese Furniture Workshop (Guangmuzuo)", People's Publishing House, 2005.

[2] The First Historical Archives of China, Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong: Zaobanchu Archives of the Qing Imperial Household Department (qinggong neiwufu zaobanchu danganzonghui), vol. 30, p. 198, the sixth month, the thirty-first year of the Qianlong reign "Mounters Workshop (Xiabiaozuo)", People's Publishing House, 2005.

[3] Teng Shuping, The Qianlong Emperor's Wisdom and Ignorance: The Emperor's View on Archaic Jade in His Poems, p. 81, the National Palace Museum in Taipei, 2019.

[4]Discourses of the States: Discourses of Chu II (Gu Yu: Chu Yu Xia): Wang Sunyu Discussing Treasures of Chu State.

[5]The Second Collection of Poems by Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty, vol. 86, Prayer for Rain at the Altar of Land and Grain.

[6] The First Historical Archives of China, Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong: Zaobanchu Archives of the Qing Imperial Household Department, vol. 30, p. 177, the fourth month of the thirty-first year of the Qianlong period "Mounters Workshop (Xiabiaozuo)", People's Publishing House, 2005.

[7] Teng Shuping, The Qianlong Emperor's Wisdom and Ignorance: The Emperor's View on Archaic Jade in His Poems, p. 129, the National Palace Museum in Taipei, 2019.

______________________________

詩文：

龍興致雲，觸石膚寸。

亦有九苞，負厚以運。

潤以甘澍，培以和風。

蔭穀表瑞，視此握中。

丙戌小春上澣御題

「叢雲」印

插屏底部刻一「甲」字

關於乾隆御題嵌龍鳳玉璧紫檀插屏

郭福祥

就藝術品收藏和鑑賞而言，清代乾隆時期可以與歷史上任何一個收藏的鼎盛時代相媲美，乾隆皇帝也可以與歷史上任何一位帝王收藏家相媲美，且在諸多方面表現更豐富、更全面，直至今天仍然具有很大的影響。對玉器的搜求和製作是構成乾隆時期宮廷藝術鑑藏活動最為重要的方面之一。可以毫不誇張地說，清宮遺存的玉器絕大多數是在乾隆時期收集、製作，並納入宮廷珍藏的。談到乾隆時期的宮廷玉器史，我們注意到這樣一個趨勢，即乾隆時期玉器大量與宮廷家具、室內裝修相結合，收存、陳設於各個宮殿之中，極大拓展了宮廷內玉器的使用範圍。其中嵌玉插屏發展成為一個室內陳設品類，顯示出乾隆時期宮廷玉器收藏、製作和使用的新現象。此次香港蘇富比公司準備拍賣的這件「乾隆御題嵌龍鳳玉璧紫檀插屏」就是一件能夠很好詮釋這一現象的典型作品。

此件插屏紫檀木製，通高26.5厘米，寬18.5厘米，厚12厘米，所嵌玉璧直徑13.5厘米。座屏四周浮雕雲龍紋岔角，蹲龍站牙，披水牙及底墩浮雕夔紋，縧環板浮雕如意云頭紋。屏心正面開圓光，內嵌玉璧一件。玉璧材質潔白、

純淨溫潤，雙面均雕琢精細紋飾。正面滿浮雕螭龍雲紋，背面浮雕雙鳳紋。螭龍頭部成三角形，身體呈S形，四肢健碩，於雲朵之間若隱若現，雲紋細密有致。瑞鳳紋飾尾部捲曲，分叉呈蔓草狀。玉璧中心安圓形紫檀木臍，木臍可以和插屏背板連接固定，木臍上頂做雙龍紋乾卦符號，為乾隆帝圖像徽記，見於其御用璽印中。插屏背板可以上下抽插，其背面圓光內刻乾隆帝御製銘文一則，文字填金。後署「丙戌小春上澣御題」款，丙戌曉春上澣即乾隆三十一年（1766）十月上旬。御題款下刻「叢雲」 御用小璽印文。插屏座底部中央刻一「甲」字並填金。整個插屏設計規範，雕刻精細，玉璧和紫檀屏架渾然一體，相得益彰，工藝水平很高，具有濃郁的宮廷氣息。

為更好地理解此件作品，這裡將與此件嵌玉璧插屏有關之問題梳理如下：

首先，乾隆時期將玉器和家具相結合的新方式，催生了嵌玉插屏的出現，並使其成為宮廷玉器收藏和陳設的新形態。其發展演變的歷史清晰明了，為我們認知此類器物提供了依據。乾隆十年十月「初四日，司庫白世秀來說，太監胡世傑交漢玉神龍長方佩一件，傳旨：著配做插屏架，欽此。於十二月初二日七品首領薩木哈將漢玉神龍長方佩一件，配得紫檀木插屏架，持進交太監胡世傑呈進訖。」 ¹ 這是筆者所見清宮造辦處活計檔中最早關於製作嵌玉紫檀插屏的記錄。此後，這件嵌玉插屏成為同類器物製作的範本，如乾隆十一年為漢白玉迴紋璧和漢玉象組合配製紫檀木瓶式架、乾隆二十三年為一件不明材質的插屏心配製紫檀木插屏，都是依據此件「紫檀木嵌漢玉插屏」的樣式、做法製作完成的。這一時期還屬於零星製作階段。從乾隆二十六年（1761）開始，紫檀木嵌玉插屏製作出現規模化,每年都有相當數量的製作，其中又以嵌玉璧的紫檀插屏最多，最具特色。僅以此件乾隆御題嵌龍鳳玉璧紫檀插屏製作的乾隆三十一年為例，活計檔中就有正月三十日「漢玉璧一件，……著配做插屏一件」 ；二月初一日「漢青玉漢紋璧一件，……將玉璧配做插屏一件」、「漢玉乳釘璧一件，隨烏木架，……改做插屏一件」；二月初四日「漢玉乳釘璧一件，……著配做插屏」；三月初一日「漢青玉璧一件，……將玉璧配插屏」；三月十五日「漢玉漢紋璧一件，……將玉璧做紫檀木插屏一件」；五月十五日「漢玉乳釘漢紋璧一件、漢玉乳釘璧一件，傳旨：著配做插屏二件」；六月二十七日「白玉龍鳳拱璧一件，……著配插屏」；十月初三日「大青玉璧一件，配得花梨木插屏一件」；十月初七日「漢玉乳釘圓璧一件，……將玉璧配做法好些插屏一件」；十月二十三日「漢玉乳釘璧一件，……將玉璧配做插屏」；十二月二十一日「漢漢玉漢紋璧一件，……著配做插屏」等等，多達13件。這些嵌玉插屏製作的指令都出自乾隆皇帝本人，所嵌玉璧來自於紫禁城、圓明園等不同地方，插屏所用材質絕大部分為紫檀木，經過配做合牌樣、呈覽、照樣準做、呈進等程序，有的還要交懋勤殿刻詩，充分顯示出乾隆皇帝在此類嵌玉璧插屏製作過程中的決定性作用。

其次，在清宮造辦處活計檔中，此件插屏的製作情況是有跡可循的，並與實物形成了對應關係。根據清宮造辦處活計檔的記載，乾隆三十一年六月「二十七日，催長四德、筆帖式五德來說，太監胡世傑交：白玉龍鳳拱璧一件，木架木匣，傳旨：著配插屏，先呈樣，欽此。於七月初一日催長四德、筆帖式五德將白玉龍鳳拱璧一件，配得插屏樣，持進交太監胡世傑呈覽，奉旨：照樣準做，欽此。於十月初三日筆帖式五德將白玉龍鳳拱璧一件，配得插屏，持進交太監胡世傑呈進訖。」² 檔案中對玉璧的描述，基本上可以和蘇富比徵集到的這件乾隆御題嵌玉璧紫檀插屏中所嵌的玉璧相對應。一是其白玉材質。這件玉璧和通常的漢玉不一樣，在感官上應該是有顯著區別的。這種直接點出白玉玉料的情況，在玉璧記錄中是不多的。二是其龍鳳主題紋飾。明確的龍鳳紋玉璧在清宮玉璧收藏中比較少見，檔案中「龍鳳」二字交代出該玉璧的顯著紋飾特點。三是「拱璧」二字可以看出當時人對玉璧體量的定位。說明該玉璧相較於通常的玉璧，體量比較大，且材質潤澤，頗顯珍貴，這也與蘇富比此件玉璧13.5厘米的直徑相呼應。另外，檔案中所記嵌龍鳳玉璧插屏的完成時間也與蘇富比徵集到的這件嵌龍鳳玉璧紫檀插屏背板上乾隆御銘的題寫時間一致。前者於乾隆三十一年十月初三日進呈乾隆，後者乾隆御題題寫時間為「丙戌小春上澣」，即乾隆三十一年十月上旬。綜上，使我們有理由相信檔案所記載的嵌玉璧插屏，應該就是此次蘇富比徵集到的這件嵌龍鳳玉璧插屏。

再次，乾隆御銘內容與所嵌玉璧實物紋飾之間高度契合，反映出乾隆皇帝對此件玉璧的認識。在蘇富比徵集到的這件嵌龍鳳玉璧紫檀插屏的背板上，有乾隆皇帝的御題銘文：「龍興致雲，觸石膚寸。亦有九苞，負厚以運。潤以甘澍，培以和風。蔭穀表瑞，視此握中。」銘文的前四句點明了玉璧的龍鳳主題紋飾，「龍興致雲，觸石膚寸」句意為龍騰於空，噓氣成雲，雲氣聚合，彙為雲海，對應的正是玉璧正面的螭龍雲紋。 「亦有九苞，負厚以運」句中「九苞」即是鳳鳥的代稱，鳳鳥承載著運勢，對應的正是玉璧背面的雙鳳紋。 「潤以甘澍，培以和風」句則講的是主題紋飾中龍和鳳的作用，龍興雲致雨，如甘霖般滋潤大地，鳳翱翔生風，如春風般輕拂大地，寓意風調雨順。 「蔭穀表瑞，視此握中」句則表明乾隆皇帝對玉璧的認知，被看作是庇蔭嘉穀的祥瑞之器，是祈禱年景豐盈的象徵之物。這一點與乾隆皇帝一貫看法是一致的。玉璧是乾隆帝在玉器收藏和鑑賞過程中十分關注的一個種類，一生所寫的有關玉璧的詩作多達110首。³ 透過這些詩作，乾隆皇帝表達出承續中國古代「玉足以庇蔭嘉穀，使無水旱之災，則寶之」 ⁴ 的重要思想。從乾隆二十四年開始，每到社稷壇祈雨，都要「特敕所司，仍用玉將事」，⁵ 並成為定例。通過乾隆的題銘，此件白玉龍鳳玉璧的意義得以昇華。可見乾隆皇帝的御題銘文與所嵌龍鳳玉璧的紋飾之間契合度很高，可以判定此件插屏背板上的乾隆銘文是專門為這件白玉龍鳳紋玉璧撰寫的，這也進一步說明此件嵌玉璧插屏所有部分都保持著配置的原始狀態，沒有改變過。

最後，是此件嵌玉璧插屏所展示的典型性。嵌玉插屏尤其是嵌玉璧插屏作為乾隆時期形成並發展成熟的一個複合工藝品種，在製作過程中逐漸形成了乾隆帝通常特別關注的某些元素，包括在玉璧及插屏上刻御製詩或御製題銘、刻有乾卦圖案的圓形木臍等。此外，還有一些細節同樣值得關注。如乾隆三十一年四月二十四日，一件陳設於翠雲館的嵌漢玉璧紫檀木插屏的背板開裂，被送到造辦處修理。為保證成品的質量，乾隆皇帝為此特別傳旨：「將裂壞背板安穿帶，嗣後凡有頒做活計，俱安穿帶。」 ⁶ 乾隆皇帝的旨意在後來的活計製作中得到了貫徹。我們可以看到，在乾隆御旨發出一個月後製作的此件嵌白玉龍鳳拱璧紫檀木插屏的背板部分就是使用穿帶連接的方式。又如對於內府收藏的玉器作品，乾隆皇帝往往親自進行鑑別、定級，「內府銅玉諸器，率以甲乙別等第」。現在留存下來的清宮藏玉中許多都刻有甲、乙、丙的編號，就是其鑑別活動的明證。在此件嵌白玉龍鳳拱璧紫檀木插屏的座底部，也刻有一「甲」字，證實這種鑑別行為確實存在。以上各個方面，在這件插屏中都有完美的體現。這使本件拍品在乾隆帝御製的嵌玉璧插屏中具有相當的典型性和代表性，可謂同類作品中的精品。

此外，還有一點有必要特別說明。按照通常的慣例，乾隆御製題銘基本都會收入御製詩文集，但此件玉璧的題銘卻在乾隆御製詩文集中缺失。實際上，這種情況並非孤例，在宮廷收藏的同類作品中，也有御製題銘沒有收進御製詩文集的例子。如北京故宮博物院所藏的青玉帶紫檀邊座雕螭璧插屏，在插屏背板上有「和田之璞，溫潤晶瑩。琢以為璧，肉好是程。三螭蜿蜒，噓如芝英。蒸雲致雨，時若應誠。用庇嘉穀，萬寶告成」的御題銘文，同樣沒有收入御製詩文集。甚至是極為重要的題銘，如北京故宮和台北故宮分別收藏的乾隆十四年製作的兩組各六件玉圭，其命名為「昭華表德」的紫檀木盒四面，刻有乾隆皇帝特別為此六圭撰寫的御識題記，也同樣沒有收入其御製詩文集中。⁷ 明晰此點，有助於我們對此件嵌玉璧插屏的基本判斷和認識。

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¹ 中國第一歷史檔案館、香港中文大學文物館合編：《清宮內務府造辦處檔案總匯》第14冊頁128，乾隆十年十月「廣木作」，人民出版社，2005年。

² 中國第一歷史檔案館、香港中文大學文物館合編：《清宮內務府造辦處檔案總匯》第30冊頁198，乾隆三十一年六月「匣裱作」，人民出版社，2005年。

³ 鄧淑蘋：《乾隆皇帝的智與昧：御製詩中的帝王古玉觀》頁81，台北故宮博物院，2019年。

⁴《國語·楚語下》「王孫圉論楚寶」。

⁵《清高宗御製詩二集》卷86，「社稷壇禱雨」。

⁶ 中國第一歷史檔案館、香港中文大學文物館合編：《清宮內務府造辦處檔案總匯》第30冊頁177，乾隆三十一年四月「匣裱作」，人民出版社，2005年。

⁷ 鄧淑蘋：《乾隆皇帝的智與昧：御製詩中的帝王古玉觀》頁129，台北故宮博物院，2019年。