清初 御製牙雕雙螭韘式蓋盒

skilfully carved in the form of an archaic she, depicted with a pair of two-clawed sinuous chilong, one portrayed clambering around the sides near the tapering tip, the other coiling through the central 'aperture' with its undulating tail extending upwards along the sides, the she-shaped motif further decorated with cross-hatching and archaistic scrollwork

香港蘇富比1989年5月17日，編號379
Hugh Moss Ltd，香港
瑪麗及莊智博伉儷收藏
香港蘇富比2005年10月23日，編號15

It is in overall good condition with only occasional minute polished nicks to the extremities. The box and the cover also have crackles consistent with age.
"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."

牙雕小盒，應由同一象牙雕成，採高古玉韘之式，浮雕螭龍成雙，一螭沿壁而上，另一穿過韘中圓孔自底往上攀，爪均二趾，身綴橫斑如虎，長尾分岔，毫髮畢現，韘則綴仿古變形勾雲紋，繁而不褥。如此細膩之牙雕小盒，類例寥寥，卻均展現了清初宮廷雕刻之工緻精巧，誠雅珍也。

相類滿綴螭龍為飾之牙雕，出現時間或更早。紐約大都會藝術博物館藏一牙雕圓牌，錄於《Chinese Decorative Arts: The Metropolitan Museum of Art》，紐約，1997年，頁41，Denise Patry Leidy 在書中就其製作時期提出疑問，但據紋飾斷代元明。其正面浮雕大小螭龍各二，相互交疊，爪均二趾，其中巨龍眉目突出，身斑若虎，長翅，另一則具靈芝狀尾，隙地密飾勾雲。

傳世清初牙雕蓋盒，也有與此相類者，如北京故宮博物院藏盒，盒中央也以韘為飾，盤夔龍鳳，圖見《故宮雕刻珍萃》，故宮博物院，北京，2002年，編號133。該韘上同綴仿古變形勾雲紋，更間刻小圈等飾，或與本品同出一匠之手。清宮舊藏另見一牙雕仿古龍紋墨床，上飾變形饕餮紋，其勾雲細部，與本品有異曲同工之妙，墨床現收入台北故宮，錄於嵇若昕主編，《匠心與仙工：明清雕刻展．象牙犀角篇》，國立故宮博物院，台北，2009年，編號1。圖錄中指其飾自明中晚期流行於吳中一帶（今蘇州），入清後始北傳宮中，推想墨床應為清初供職內務府造辦處之南匠所造，見頁149。

清康熙至乾隆年間，記錄在冊之宮廷牙匠近三十人，其中來自吳中之匠便有封錫祿、封錫璋、吳珩、封岐、封鎬、朱栻、施天章與顧彭年，大多為親屬或師徒，技藝一脈相傳。然史料所記牙作之事有欠詳盡，更鮮有匠人的記錄，如養心殿造辦處載，「雍正四年十一月二十三日湯山伊爾希達四十六交來象牙夔龍式盒一對（花梨木匣盛）」，文獻簡略，未能判定傳世例是否乃所寫夔龍式盒，詳見《養心殿造辦處史料輯覽．第一輯．雍正朝》，北京，2013年，頁111-112。