The “Four Treasures” which includes inkstick, inkstand, brush and paper are very well known, however other finely carved objects are also expressing the delicate Chinese literati sensibilities.

This blog will introduce water-droppers made in different materials. The water-dropper is an essential utensil for Scholars. Although it is not selected as one of the main objects in “The Four Treasures”,  it is associated with them in a vital and functional way. Each time the Scholar composed a literati work, he needed to produce ink by grinding an in-cake on an ink-stone, adding a small amount of water during the process.

In the past Chinese Scholars preferred using inkstick in the form of solidified ink to be dissolved with a small amount of water on an inkstone, in order to control the amount of water applied, they use water-dropper.  A classic water-dropper has two openings which function is to allow air passing through the dropper inside, it also permits to the water to flow smoothly. A literati would raise their index finger from one hole in order to release the air for the purpose of allowing water to fall out slowly and rhythmically, it is also a way that is considered to achieve inner peace.

Various shapes and different materials were used for water-droppers to enlighten the Scholars literati achievements.

On the left you can see a very interesting piece carved in bamboo in the shape of an auspicious emblem, the peach. This unique bamboo water-dropper is ingeniously carved with leaves around the fruit.

Along with the aesthetic consideration, this water-dropper deeply shows the essence of humble literati lifestyle and culture.

You can also find some water-dropper cast in bronze which is also a popular material in  the Chinese literati heritage; bronze casting technology in China has a very long history, which dates back to the early Shang, in the mid-second millennium BC.  Due to its well-established casting techniques in China, bronze has been made into various lively and delicate ornaments for Scholar’s desk. The heaviness of those bronzes could also be used as paper weight.

In our collection we have a piece depicting a buffalo with a shepherd boy playing the flute sitting on the top, which is a motif derived from a legend about the Emperor Hongwu founder of the Ming Dynasty. It is said he presented a picture of a boy ridding a buffalo for himself who had humble origins.

Ceramic is also a material very popular in Chinese cultural heritage, we are showing a pair of turquoise glazed water-dropper in the form of toads. Turquoise glazed technique was used since the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), it represented a new orientation for the potters, and was mainly used during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Chinese Scholars liked to use writing accessories made of Jade, as Confucius praised jade as “the embodiment of virtue”. There are hundreds of Chinese saying which use the word Jade, almost always in a positive context, as something good, noble, beautiful or honest, reinforcing the cultural belief that jade is something associated with the best in a man. We are showing a Jade water-dropper in a shape of a quail, the meaning of that bird is courage, peace and harmony depicting perfectly Chinese Scholars.

在我們之前發表的名為《文人墨寶》的文章中，我們介紹了中國文人如何以傳統的方式通過桌上的物件展現他們高品質的審美。中國的“文房四寶”， 包括硯，硯台，毛筆和紙張，它們以被人所熟知，然而其他在書桌上出現的精緻物件同樣表達了中國文人的細膩情感。此文將要展示的是不同物件製作的名為水滴壺的物件。

水滴壺是文人墨客書桌上最基本的用具之一。儘管它沒有被選進“文房四寶”中，但它以一種重要和使用的方式將它們聯繫起來。中國文人在每次創作文墨時，都會有一步在硯台上磨墨的過程，通過加入少量的水。因為在過去，中國文人喜歡使用凝固的墨水，也就是硯，在硯台上用少量的水去溶解成墨汁，他們選擇了水滴壺來實現控制用水量。

一個經典的水滴壺造型，具有兩個孔，其功能正是讓空氣順利通過滴管內部再釋放。它同樣也允許了水順利地流動。文人會從一個洞口舉起他們的食指，以釋放空氣，讓水緩慢而有節奏地落下，這也是一種被認為可以實現內心平靜的方式。各種形狀和不同材質的水滴壺被用於豐富學者們的文藝成就。

下面你可以看到一件非常有趣的竹刻作品。它的形狀是一個具有吉祥含義的圖案——桃子。這個獨特的竹質水滴壺巧妙地在果實周圍雕刻了葉子。

除了在美學上的考慮，這個水滴壺還深深地展示了謙遜的文人的生活方式和他們的文化精髓。

除此之外，你也可以找到一些用青銅鑄造的水滴壺，這也是中國文人遺產中的一種常見的材料，中國的青銅鑄造技術有著悠久的歷史，這可以追溯到公元前兩千年的商朝早期。

由於中國具備了完善的鑄造技術，青銅也被製作成各種活潑精緻的文房飾品。並且，由於這些青銅器不小的重量，它們也可以作為紙鎮使用。

在我們的收藏中，有一件青銅製水滴壺作品描繪了一頭水牛，上面坐著一個吹笛子的牧童，這一形象也是源自明朝洪武皇帝的傳說。據說他將騎水牛的男孩形象以代表他純樸和謙卑的出身。

陶瓷也是中國文化遺產中非常流行的一種材料，我們展示的是一對綠松石釉面的蟾蜍造型的水滴壺。

綠松石釉面技術源自元朝（1279-1368），它在當時呈現出此後陶藝家們的新風潮，隨後在明清時期被廣泛地使用。

中國文人喜歡使用玉石製成的書寫配件，因為孔子將其讚為“美德的化身”。中國有許多使用玉這個詞的諺語，幾乎都是讚美之詞，通常指美好的，高貴的，美麗的或者誠實的事物，加深了其文化信仰，即玉和人的美德相互輝映的寓意。

我們展示的是一個鵪鶉形狀的水滴壺，這種鳥類的含義是勇氣，和平與和諧，完美地描繪了中國學者的品質。

The post Chinese Water-Dropper 中國水滴壺文化 appeared first on Chinese Wood Stands.

In the first half of the 20th Century, Western Scholars and collector began to show interest in the cultural and artistic values of traditional Chinese furniture. By the 21st Century, they have become one of the most favoured categories among collectors of Chinese Antiques. One of the many aspects that attracted connoisseur’s attentions was the material, which often featured beautiful grain and rich colour. Though made from a variety of wood, fine quality pieces of Chinese classical furniture much sought after by modern antique collectors were crafted with rare hardwoods. Zitan, an extremely dense, blackish-purple wood, is considered as the most precious of all wood and is said in ancient texts to have sourced from various places from Indochina to Chinese provinces, like Yunnan, Guangxi and Guangdong. Huanghuali, mostly harvested in Guangdong province and Hainan Island and known for its exquisite range of colour from light yellow to purplish red and excellent grain, was used to make most of the best furniture during the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty. Lastly, Hongmu is the most common hardwood in Chinese Classical Furniture, but it was not until the second half of the Qing Dynasty when it was used extensively.

From small stools and chairs, to large cabinets and bookcases, Chinese Classical Furniture appeared in many forms with different functions. The characteristics and styles of the furniture rooted in the common traditions of the Chinese people. The late Ming of the 16th and 17th centuries was a period when the society was dominated by influential scholarly class. To suit the needs of these individuals, who were actively in pursuit of quiet and plain lifestyles, a succinct style of furniture featuring minimal decoration was produced. Though simple in design, craftsmen paid extra attention in its practical function, as they carefully built in the lines and proportion in order to provide the highest level of comfort to its owner. By the Qing Dynasty, the minimalist style from previous time also persisted. However, a new style, influenced by the aesthetic taste of the Manchu court for opulence and flamboyance, was particularly in fashion. Chinese furniture in this style was much heavier and elaborate, often enhanced with intricate carvings and even inlaid decorations.

中國古代家具，從廣義來説是指各式樣的明清家具，在古時是各堦層人士家裏的必需品。早在20世紀初，西方的學者與收藏家已經開始對中國家具所蘊涵的民族文化傳統產生了興趣。而到了21世紀， 它們更是成爲了在中國古董收藏界裏面最受歡迎的其中一個種類。然而其用料是其中一個讓中國家具得到衆多收藏家喜愛的原因。雖然家具的原料有許多种，但最爲精美的中國家具均是用珍貴的硬木製造而成的。其中紫檀是在中國等級名份比較高的珍貴木材。 生於亞熱代地方，如中國雲南，海南以及南洋國家，紫檀木材堅硬緻密，色澤大多為深紫紅色，紋理極爲細密，在明清時代大多數只供給宮廷使用。黃花梨是另外一種在古代被奉為最珍罕的木材。出產于中國海南島和兩廣，黃花梨的木紋十分美觀，肌理細膩，顔色種類多，從淺黃到紫赤。明代及清代早期製作的高檔家具大多是用這種木材所制。其他比較普遍使用的硬木材統稱為紅木，簡單來説就是指帶紅色木紋的硬木，在紫檀和黃花梨短缺的晚清時期特別受到重用。

明清時期是中國古典家具的黃金時期。在這個時期製造的家具品種繁多，如桌椅，櫃，凳及其他家居擺設。跟其他中國藝術品一樣，人們的品味和社會的風向對家具的風格產生了直接的影響。在晚明時期，中國文人的清高品格得到了升華以及廣大社會的重視，而他們所追求的樸素生活方式也充分反應在當時的家具風格。雖然構造普遍簡單，大多式樣質朴，但工匠們並無掉以輕心，而更花心思來提高家具的舒适性。可到了清代，因宮廷審美情趣及思想觀念的變化，家具的風格也漸漸的失去明代簡約流暢的風格。到了乾隆後期，造型更是變化無窮，作工特別細緻，注重裝飾。往往採取一木連作，因此清代家具造型上和明代對比渾厚，莊重。

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Jades are generally differentiated into nephrite and jadeite by their characteristic appearance and hardness, despite the Chinese commonly used the word yu to describe both minerals. Nephrite, ranges from creamy white through green, yellow, brown, even to black, was the most used mineral in Chinese jade objects until the era of the Qing Dynasty. The supply of nephrite increased drastically under the ruling of the Manchurians of the Qing Dynasty after the Qianlong Emperor (1736 – 1795) conquered of Xinjiang, where Hotan, a major county with rich nephrite deposits was located. Jadeite, a harder mineral known as feicui with vivid green colour, quickly received attention from the Manchu court when Merchants began importing them from Burma around 1800. Wealthy Merchants and local artists had gradually chosen animals and human figurines as the main subject matters to respond to the growing market for decorative styles. With steady inflow of raw materials, imperial patronage, combined with the deeply rooted auspicious symbols in ancient Chinese iconography, the jade industry enjoyed unprecedented growth.

Today, both nephrite and jadeite remain a major category among collectors of Chinese Works of Arts. Jade artisans utilised the precious stone as a painting surface and incorporated superb hand-carving techniques to create highly appreciated works of art. Connoisseurs not only admired the sharp smooth edges, carving, rich colours and transparency of jades, but also the moral beauty, meaning and virtues famously commented by the great Confucius.

Jade Monkey Group, Qing Dynasty, Courtesy of the V&A Museum

玉石是與中國藝術文化密不可分的材料，長期以來吸引著中國藝術家和鑑賞家。自新石器時代以來，玉石不僅是高雅品性的象徵，而且還是吉祥平安的護身符，甚至是永生不老的通靈寶物。玉雕工匠以其精湛的工藝在色彩豐富的玉石上進一步增強了石頭的美感。因爲玲瓏剔透的玉石稀少罕見又不易取得，在古時候玉石僅限于貴族使用。

儘管中國常用玉一字，其實它只是一類礦石的泛稱，通常以其特有的特質而分為軟玉和硬玉。軟玉是中國傳統的玉料，按顔色黃玉，青玉，碧玉與白玉等。自乾隆皇帝（1736 – 1795年）征服新疆後，在清代滿洲人的統治下，軟玉的供應急劇增加，正是因爲在那裡有一個具有豐富軟玉礦床的主要縣 – 和田。然而硬玉在中國廣泛稱爲翡翠。其特點為翠綠色豐富，光澤強與折射率高。當商人大約從1800年開始從緬甸進口此玉料時，翡翠迅速受到清官庭的注意。另外，由於高品質的翡翠僅產於緬甸特定的礦脈，產地的惟一性也增加了它的高貴品質。隨著各種原材料的穩步流入，富有的商人和地方藝術家也逐漸地選擇動物和人的雕像作為主題來響應裝飾風格與市場需求。加上帝國的庇護以及中國古代圖像中根深蒂固的吉祥符號，玉石工業在18世紀的清朝享有前所未有的增長。

自古有云，玉乃石之美者，有五德，潤澤以溫，仁之方也。今天，玉仍然受到收藏家的喜愛。玉工匠利用寶石作為繪畫表面，並結合精湛的手工雕刻技術，創造高度讚賞的藝術作品。繁簡的雕刻，豐富的色彩和翡翠的透明度，以及孔子對玉石的高尚評價使玉持續受到各國鋻賞家喜愛。

The post Stones of Virtue: Chinese Jades – 中國玉石文化 appeared first on Chinese Wood Stands.