In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Suzhou's economy and culture were unprecedentedly developed, the craft categories were complete, the production level was superb, and the carving process was particularly prominent, so there was a saying that "although the good materials are collected in beijing, the craftsmanship is pushed su county". At this time, the carving craftsmen basically got rid of the personal attachment relationship, created actively, and the Wudi literary style was blazing, and the participation of the literati promoted the development of the carving process.
The art of bamboo carving has risen in Jiading, and the famous artists have been famous in the sea; jade carving and tooth corner carving have developed rapidly, and the famous jade carving craftsmen Lu Zigang and the famous zhi rhino master Bao Tiancheng are known as invincible hands for hundreds of years; the Gu Erniang yan carving craft that inherits the ancestral skills of the Gu family is also called Wuzhong's special skill.
According to the literature, Suzhou carvers had entered the court at least during the Kangxi period. During the Yongzheng period, the palace office brought together a variety of carving craftsmen such as Suzhou bamboo and wood tooth horn makers, jade smiths, and stone smiths, who took on the main design and production tasks in their own areas of expertise, occupying the main or even monopoly position.
During the Qianlong period, with the large increase in court work, the number of Suzhou carving craftsmen who entered the palace office reached an unprecedented number, and its categories also changed. It is more obvious that the bamboo and wood tooth horn makers were gradually replaced by Guangdong craftsmen because they did not meet the preferences of the Qianlong Emperor, while the jade craftsmen increased greatly, and the number gradually peaked.
Early Qing Dynasty White Jade Double Baby Ear Cup
White jade, jade warm and delicate. On both sides of the cup, the boy is wearing a small flower jacket with a rice pattern, smiling, and his hands are climbing on the edge of the jade cup and stepping on the auspicious clouds.
The overall dyeing of the jade cup is old, quite ancient, and because of the exquisite craftsmanship, the Qianlong Emperor can not distinguish between true and false, thinking that it is a Han Dynasty thing, called Yao Zongren, a Suzhou jade worker who came to the office, to inquire (in terms of jade, Yao Zongren can identify, design, and carve, and is the most important designer of the early Qianlong court jade, and Qianlong often designates the jade designed by him). Zong Ren replied with a smile: This is a pseudo-ancient artifact made by his grandfather, using a family amber dyeing method to make the old secret method, which was used in the time of Kangxi. Qianlong was greatly amazed after hearing this, and wrote the article "The Record of the Jade Cup", which was made into an album and passed on to future generations together with the jade cup and the sandalwood seat and the black lacquer depicting gold lacquer box.
Qing Kangxi Gu Erniang DuanShi Cave Tianyi Pin Yan
The right side of the yan face is engraved with the two seals of "Xintian True Reward" and "Ten Yan Xuan Books", and the yellow ren inscription on the left is: "Non-Junmei is boundless, which is the heart of labor." Kangxi Jihai (Kangxi 58th year, 1719) June, appointed. Engraved under the "Yellow" and "Ren" seals. Yan back Yudian and Lin Ji inscriptions, Yan side "Wumen Gu Erniang made". Attached is a lacquer box made by Lu Kuisheng.
Qingqianlong Jade leaf pattern candlestick
The upper part of the candlestick is green jade, the lower melon prismatic seat and plate are white jade, the lower part is six legs, and the center of the plate is engraved with the "Qianlong Year of the Great Qing Dynasty" lishu paragraph. The gua prism-shaped seat is inscribed with the imperial poem "Yonghe Khotanese Jade Lantern" of the forty years of Qianlong (1775), and the last sign is "Qianlong Yiwei Meng Chunyue Shangyu Imperial Inscription" and "Bid" seal.
The upper part of this vessel has a distinctly markdustan jade carving style from the shape and the pattern of the leaves of the lotus, while the oval chrysanthemum petal plate in the lower part is the style of the Qing Dynasty court. According to relevant archives, the lamp part of this instrument should be the early 18th century Tracedustan jade, and the lamp plate part is made in Suzhou.
Qingqianlong Qingyu Dragon Button "Royal Study Treasure" seal
This seal is the palace seal, the Yang script seal book. During the Qianlong period, the palace was overhauled, and many of the names of the halls were engraved into seals, and he personally wrote palace records on the origin of the construction and naming of the temple. The imperial study is located in the apse of the Jingyang Palace of the Forbidden City, with a hall of poetry hanging from it.
Qingqianlong White Jade Double Immortal Ear Cup
The yin engraving of the "Great Qing Dynasty Qianlong Antique" is written in the foot, and the cup body is embossed with a group of immortals to wish the shoutu, which is made of imitation of the White Jade Lile Tu Cup of the Song Dynasty in the old Collection of the Qing Palace. In the Song Dynasty, double ear cups were once popular, and the Palace Museum has two Qing Dynasty imitation Song Li Le Tu cups, one for white jade and one for jasper.
Qingqianlong Qingyu Qixia Quantu Shanzi
The frontal trail runs from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the mountain, and the mountain road is rugged and the waterway is winding. The ancient trees in the mountains are sloping and rocky, and there are several pavilions in the mountain passes. The Southern Dynasty Temple is located at the foot of the mountain. The cliffs on the back are steep, a few old trees hang upside down in the rock gaps, and the small bridges in the shadows of the forests are crossed, and the background color of the mountains is quiet and beautiful.
The Qianlong Emperor went to Jiangnan six times and stayed five times on the banks of Qixia Mountain, which was known as the "First Jinling Mingxiu Mountain", and left behind many poems and ink treasures. At that time, some court painters painted many Danqing depicting Qixia Mountain, and the inspiration for this piece of Yushanzi was taken from the paper color painting axis "Qixia Quantu".
Qingqianlong Red inlaid jasper cross-fertile treasure box
Qingqianlong Detailed drawing of the red inlaid jasper interspersed treasure box
This vessel is a combination of engraving lacquer and inlay two processes, round, three-layer, with seats, slightly raised cover, and each layer of the mouth edge is inlaid with copper gilded buckles. The whole body is carved with red lacquer cirrus cloud pattern, the cover is inlaid with 4 jasper dragons, and the mantises are intertwined with each other, head and tail. Each layer of the wall is equidistant inlaid with 6 jasper dragons, and there are 28 upper and lower dragons. At the bottom of the box, the engraved gold "Qianlong Year of the Great Qing Dynasty" runs rampant, and the name of the "Jiaojiao Treasure Box" is engraved on it. The outer sole of the seat is engraved with gold "Qianlong Year of the Great Qing Dynasty" three vertical lines of calligraphy. There are three models on top of one device, and this is the only example at present.
Qingqianlong Pick red landscape character figure chime style set box
Qingqianlong Red Landscape Character Figure Chime Set Box Detail Diagram
Heavenly cover type, imitation jade chime shape, several types of seats, Ruyi style legs. The lid pattern of the box is set against the background of rolling mountains and vast seawater, carving eight immortals crossing the sea to celebrate their birthday, and two immortals circling in the air, a wave of auspiciousness rises in the water, and a huge bat spreads its wings, covering the whole picture at the top. The instrument wall adopts the method of tongjing painting and carved auspicious motifs such as birthday celebrations and gifts. The box has four built-in sub-boxes with shapes, which are tightly sewn and decorated with oil and lotus patterns, which is very delicate.
Seal the Xilu style bamboo root cloth bag monk
The budai monk sat cross-legged and sitting on the ground, smiling and looking very vivid. Two children played next to them, on a cloth bag, climbing towards the abdomen. The budai monk holds a large bead in his right hand and caresses the child's back with his left hand. On the back of it, the lower left side of the yin inscription is written in the four characters of the book "Feng XiLu System". The carving is exquisite, especially the cloth bag monk's eyebrows are gathered, as if it is itchy and unbearable.
Feng Xilu was a famous bamboo carving artist during the Kangxi Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, and the Feng clan could carve bamboo in every door. In the forty-second year of the Kangxi Dynasty (1703), Xi Lu and his brother Xi Zhang entered Beijing to serve in the Yangxin Temple.
Qingqianlong Eight Immortals Celebrating Shou Ruyi
The whole body is mainly red paint, supplemented by yellow paint and green paint as a background. The front of the handle is engraved with one of the eight immortals of traditional Chinese mythology, the iron abduction li, the handle body from top to bottom are carved with eight auspicious ornaments, the middle section has an open light, and its inner carving ruyi is inserted into the bottle, meaning "peace and ruyi". The back is integrally carved with hexagonal petals, and the tail is covered with yellow silk spikes. This ruyi is one of the nine-handle set of "Eight Immortals Celebrating Shou Ruyi", which was made by the Craftsmen of Suzhou under the order of the Qianlong Emperor.
Due to the large number of living measurements undertaken in Suzhou, the archives of the Manufacturing Office have set up a special project of "Suzhou". These tasks were generally ordered by the Qianlong Emperor to be painted or sampled by the Qianlong Emperor, and then sent to Suzhou for approval, where they were made by suzhou weaving craftsmen or foreign craftsmen, and then presented to the court. This kind of work must be made strictly according to the emperor's will, requiring compliance with the court's "inner court courtesy style". According to the court archives, Suzhou undertook most of the jade carving, most of the carving paint production and most of the clay brick production tasks here, and also had a small amount of bamboo and wood tooth horn work. The Fine Works of The Ming and Qing Dynasties show the fresh and splendid Suzhou style of the Ming and Qing courts. Although the craftsmen of the past have long disappeared, their persistence and wisdom are engraved in Su Zuo, passed down from generation to generation and appreciated by the world.
To learn more, please go to the app store or app treasure to search for "China Collection" and download the "China Collection" magazine app.