Other Curio in National Palace Museum, part1

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of curios! Here, you can explore some of the most unique and interesting artifacts from China's imperial past. We have a variety of different curios on display here, including a Brush Holder with Letter-reading Scene, a Silver Raft Cup of "Zhang Qian Riding a Raft" with the mark of Zhu Bishan, Ivory Balls of nested concentric layers with human figures in openwork relief, a Ch'in (Chinese unfretted zither) and a Copper-body Painted Enamel Snuff Bottle with a Maki-e Floral Lacquer Inlay. These are all incredible pieces that provide us with a glimpse into Chinese culture during this time period. Come take a look at these fascinating artifacts today!

1. Brush Holder with Letter-reading Scene

A segment of a piece of bamboo has been made into a brush holder, with a flat mouth and the dividing part of the bamboo as the bottom. The outside is carved in relief with the image of a lady with an elegant hairstyle standing before a screen reading a handscroll. Another lady is seen hiding behind the screen with her finger to her mouth to indicate silence as she peeks Behind the screen to the other side is a display that includes a table, flower vase, incense burner, zither, and brush and inkstone The screen is engraved with a scene of birds and flowers, below which is a signature in regular script that reads, "San-sung." The imagery is very close to the illustration of "Peeking at a Letter" made by the late Ming painter Chen Hongshou (1598-1652) for the woodblock printing of the novel "Romance of the Western Chamber." The appearance of the figures and their clothing in the two is very similar, and the brushwork for the screen painting and flower vase even appear as if cutout from the print and applied to the bamboo. The four-panel screen, however, has been reduced to one panel, and the table display added to provide a setting for Hong-niang hiding behind the screen and to fill out the rounded surface of the holder with a continuous composition. Carving was done into the flat surface of the bamboo, making Hong-niang, the screen, and Cui Yingying stand out slightly while also giving depth to the scene and variation in the carving. On top of the figures and screen carved in high relief is engraving for hair, lines, and low relief, concealing the process of carving while also giving full play to the talent of the carver

2. Silver raft cup  of "Zhang Qian Riding a Raft" with the mark of Zhu Bishan

This silver raft cup takes its theme from the story of Zhang Qian of the Han dynasty, who was said to have rode a raft to trace the source of the Yellow River, and eventually travelled to the Milky Way, where he met the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. This raft cup takes the form of a single natural hollowed log, in which Zhang Qian sits, gazing at the heavens. With headdress fluttering and robes open, Zhang Qian smiles into the breeze as he holds a rectangular stone in his right hand, upon which is engraved the two characters, "zhi ji" (loom weight), in seal script.

3. Ivory balls of nested concentric layers with human figures in openwork relief

This set of movable openwork ivory balls nested in concentric layers comprise four main parts:a dragon fish hook, two ladies-in-waiting carved in the round, a set of hollow nested concentric balls, and a pendant depicting the Heavenly Twins of Conjugal Felicity. In between, varying lengths of linked chain connect the respective parts, and an additional small round ball is connected by screw threads between the nested ivory balls and the two ladies-in-waiting. A total of 18 nested concentric balls have been counted, with fluid movement allowed between each layer. On their outer side, mountain and water landscapes, pavilions, and figures have been carved in high relief, while the inner side is decorated with openwork image patterns

4. Ch'in (Chinese unfretted zither)

The "ch'in," or zither, is an ancient Chinese stringed instrument. Its actual appearance has changed over the centuries, and there are also stylistic differences observable in "ch'in" made from different locations and makers in China.

5. Copper-body Painted Enamel Snuff Bottle with a Maki-e Floral Lacquer Inlay

The decorative style of the snuff bottle combines East and West. The panel in the center of the object represents plum blossoms painted in gold lacquer, representing the Japanese style of maki-e that was popular in European markets. The plum blossoms and butterflies on the ground outside of the panel, however, are done in traditional Chinese decorative manners, symbolizing the integrity and longevity of the literati.

6. Carved bamboo root carving of a well-wishing horse and monkey

This round carving of a bamboo root depicts a semi-reclining horse in regardant position, upon whose back sits a small monkey holding a peach. This imagery symbolizes "immediate conferral of a high-ranking position." This curio was originally secured in a treasure box, and despite the small size of the work, much care has been taken over the postures and expressions of the animals, as well as the presentation of the original bamboo texture.

7. Glass-body Painted Enamel Snuff Bottle in the Shape of a Bamboo Section

Enamelware of the Yongzheng reign followed that of the Kangxi reign and raised to greater heights, characterized mainly by its panels in a full composition, traditional bird-and-flower painting as subject matter, colorful background, and inscriptions in panels of auspicious shapes. The body of this piece is semi-translucent white glass, its shape like that of a bamboo segment. The greenish yellow base is rendered with green bamboo and a spider, much in the elegant manner of a literati painting The three knots of the bamboo segment here have even been colored with dots to give it an exceptionally realistic feel The bottle includes a colorful enamelware bronze spoon handle with two butterflies along with an ivory spoon. The butterflies stand out against the dark background and give the piece even more opulence and liveliness, the golden rim further accentuating it At the bottom is a panel against the background in an auspicious form for the inscription--spirit fungi The inscription in red regular script against a white background reads "Made in the Yongzheng reign" This snuff bottle testifies to the features of Yongzheng wares mentioned above and therefore is quite important and precious.

8. Painted enamel vase with dragons and peony decoration

Yongzheng reign Under close observation of the court Painted enamelware, which had originally come from the West, entered a stage of full-scale development. Not only were the bodies of vessels such as porcelains, bronzes, glasses, or painted enamels done with opulent colors, the decoration was also extremely refined. The peony blossoms on the surface of this painted enamelware vase with dragons are a traditional Chinese auspicious pattern, and the k'uei-dragons inlaid onto either side of the shoulder and the ring of floral motifs at the top are exquisitely rendered. It perhaps shows, after the absorption of Western techniques, the reinterpretation of traditional craftsmanship.

9. Cloisonne censer in the form of a wild duck

Cloisonné is a decorative craft whereby the surface of a metal body is adorned with a vitreous glaze and then subjected to firing. One of the earliest enamelwork techniques to be developed was cloisonné, which involved the creation of compartments (known as "cloisons") using thin copper wires on the surface of the metal body, filling the cloisons with colored glazes, and then firing repeatedly, after which the surface was polished and gilded with gold. Cloisonné works are often referred to as "Jingtai Blue" ware. This Ming dynasty censer is believed to date from the early 16th century, and is in the form of a wild duck with head held high. Primarily made of copper, the lid and body of the vessel fit seamlessly at the abdomen of the duck, while the incense smoke passes through the neck and out of the bill. Besides the bill and the webbed feet, the duck is otherwise cloisonned with glazes of different colors and additional embellishments to depict feathers, and the stand is also cloisonned with an intertwined chrysanthemum pattern. The gold-gilt base was likely added later, and the central "Jia" character carved in intaglio on the underside of the base is an artifact appraisal marking of the Qianlong reign. Animal-form enamelware emerged during the middle to late Ming dynasty, and contributed to the enrichment of enamelware forms and styles of the time.

10. Tuan Inkstone with Cloud-and-Dragon Decor and 99 Columns