TWO EXCEPTIONALLY RARE REALGAR CUPS

18th century

18th century
One of rounded square form, the other of stylised peach form, set on raised feet, the vessels displaying the natural properties of the orange-red sulphide mineral, each with pewter lining. The larger 7.2cm (2 7/8in) wide. (2).

十八世紀 雄黄小盃一組兩件

Provenance:
Spink & Son Ltd., London
Mrs E. A. Parry (1879-1977), London, acquired from the above on 30 September 1925, and thence by descent

來源：
倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.
倫敦E. A. Parry夫人（1879-1977）舊藏，於1925年9月30日購自上者，並由後人保存迄今

Objects made of realgar, which is a sulphide of arsenic found in Yunnan, Guizhou and Gansu Provinces, are exceptionally rare and very few can be found in museum or private collections. See in the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, a realgar cup, 18th/19th century, acc.no.A.1924.478, and a realgar figure of Budai, 19th century, acc.no.A.1925.414. See also a relagar figure of Shoulao, Qing dynasty, in the British Museum, London, acc.no.1913,0408.1; and a figure of the Daoist Immortal He Xiangu, 18th century, in the British Museum, London, illustrated by R.S.Jenyns, Chinese Art, vol.3, Fribourg, 1981, p.220, no.200; and see a partially realgar inkcake, Qianlong mark dated to 1737 and of the period, in the Qing Court Collection, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, coll.no.Gu00129724-7/26.

R.Soame Jenyns notes in ibid., p.220 that realgar may have been one of the constituents used by Daoists in their search for the Elixir of Immortality (which often had the opposite result). The strong connection of realgar in Chinese art to Daoism is supported by the examples above which include figures of Daoist Immortals, and the present lot which includes a peach-shaped cup, a fruit which symbolises in Daoist lore the wish for longevity.

The realgar material was so prized that the yellow-orange arsenic sulfide mineral was often imitated in glass, including vessels made for the Imperial Court during the celebrated Qianlong reign. See a pair of imitation realgar glass vases, Qianlong four-character seal marks and period, illustrated by E.S.Rawski and J.Rawson, ed., China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.304, no.234; and see an imitation realgar glass wine cup, Qianlong four-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2312.

雄黃，《本草綱目》稱其又名石黃，化學成分為三硫化砷，中國雲南、貴族和甘肅等省都有出產。雄黃製品於博物館或私人收藏中存世極少，已知者包括蘇格蘭國立博物館館藏一例十八/十九世紀雄黃盃，藏品編號A.1924.478，及十九世紀雄黃布袋和尚像，藏品編號A.1925.414。倫敦大英博物館藏亦藏有兩例雄黃製品，包括一例清雄黃壽老，藏品編號1913,0408.1；及一例十八世紀何仙姑像，收錄於詹寧斯著，《中國藝術（Chinese Art）》，卷三，弗里堡，1981年，頁220，編號200。北京故宮博物院館藏一件清宮舊藏清乾隆蘭亭修褉黃御墨，以包括雄黃在內的天然黃色材料製成，藏品編號Gu00129724-7/26。

詹寧斯在其《中國藝術》一書第220頁中稱，雄黃或許是道家煉製丹藥時所用成分之一，雖然效果常常適得其反。上述幾例道教人物像，以及本例其一盃呈桃形，這一道教語義下象徵長壽的水果，均可視為雄黃與道教的緊密聯繫在藝術上的體現。

雄黃材料色澤悅目但難以保存，因此益發珍貴。清中期後，以玻璃仿製寶石之風日盛，民間乃至清廷造辦處皆可見仿雄黃料製品，如清乾隆御製仿雄黃料六棱瓶一對，收錄於E.S.Rawski與J.Rawson合著，《China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795》，倫敦，2005年，頁304，編號234；以及一例清乾隆仿雄黃料酒盃，售於香港佳士得，2013年5月29日，拍品編號2312。