HARDSTONE
0054 In the Mineralogy section of the 1863 British Museum annual report appeared: ‘A magnificent turquoise, weighing 4 lb. 3 oz., green, from the Summer Palace, Pekin’. (22 June 1863, Caledonian Mercury, p. 4)
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0044 The following 42 items were included in the catalogue of Capitaine Negroni’s collection of spoils from the Yuanmingyuan, exhibited at the Crystal Palace in 1865.
p. 18
42. A chalcedony cameo vase. The regular layers in different colours which distinguish a true chalcedony cannot possibly be found more distinctly marked than in this specimen. It was made to hold the pencils of the imperial poet, Kien Long, a contemporary of Louis XIV. The contrast between the brown figures and the greenish white back ground is very pleasing, while the design and workmanship leave nothing to be desired. To give an idea of its value it may be stated that an inferior vase was presented by the Emperor of China to Monsieur A. Marshal, and in 1858 was exhibited by him at the Museum of Dijon. This vase was considered to be superior to that of Ptolemy Philadelphus, estimated at £40,000.
43. A chalcedony cameo vase, similar to that of Kien Long, but differing in colour. The ground is rose; the relief is in pale green colour. It is an object of great beauty.
44. A grotto containing two monkeys. Great taste is displayed in managing the different colours of this sardonyx. The grotto is left entirely red, but while one monkey is white the other is yellow. A finer specimen of this stone it is not possible to desire.
45. A similar subject, being the fellow to the above.
46. A group made of talk–a lioness and cubs. It was one of the Emperor’s seals, and is of unquestionable antiquity, the inscription being in characters used before the introduction of the present Chinese letters.
47. The Emperor’s official seal for death-warrants. A square piece of Oriental jasper with Chinese and Mantchou characters.
p. 19
48. Buddha, in meditation. A statuette, finely carved, and placed on a base of jasper.
49. A semi-transparent Cornelian ink-stand, in the form of a humming bird’s nest, with flowers and fruit carved on the branch which sustains it. This specimen loses nothing by comparison with the celebrated seal by Michel Angelo, now in the imperial library of Paris, and which is valued at £2,000.
50. A lioness in yellow agate–a very rare stone.
51. A sacred bat in sardonyx.
52. A chalcedony cup, with natural marks representing fish, &c., which greatly increase the value of the specimen.
53. A swan, curiously carved in chalcedony. The head, and the leaf carried in the mouth, only, are in the outer layer, and red; the rest of the bird is pure white.
54. A chalcedony cameo; the ground is grey, and the device in black, giving a very pleasing contrast of colour. The subject represented is the kin-ly or sea-dragon. On the back are a number of antique characters.
55. A small round jewel stand. The flowers and butterflies are admirably carved in the outer layer of the onyx.
56. A sardonyx owl, with a bunch of flowers in its mouth.
57. A little rabbit, in beautiful cornelian.
58. A Chinese lady. This figure is remarkable for the head only being of white cornelian, while the rest of the body is red. The effect thus produced is very singular.
59. A sardonyx, the colours of which contrast very agreeably.
60. A sardonyx, very beautifully carved in a marine subject.
61. A sardonyx, with very well defined colours.
62. A pendant, made of sardonyx, having several varieties of colour.
63. A little jewel stand, in an heliotrope agate, with a fine Ming band.
64. A bottle of dark stone, of an unknown species.
65. The Empress’s scent-bottle, the undulation of the white and grey bands in this agate is truly wonderful; the stopper is in emerald jade.
p. 20
66. A finely carved group of flowers, leaves and fruit, in chalcedony; the variety of color is very curious.
67. An onyx, carved to imitate a box, the stone is beautifully marked.
68. A moss agate, of a round form; a perfect landscape is formed by the natural disposition of the colours.
69. An oblong chalcedony, very curiously marked.
70. Dog of Fo-ki, the guardian of Buddha’s temples, in fine yellow talk.
71. A fantastic dragon, carved out of a stone hardly known in Europe; it is called “realgar,” and when analysed gives a result purely arsenical, it is generally found among volcanic rocks.
72. A perfume burner in chalcedony; it has two heads in relief, and a broad band formed of imperial dragons. &c. The under layer is transparent white, the outer opaque red.
73. A screen, made of a large plate of lapis lazulae. The inscription is in very ancient characters engraved and gilded; the frame is of carved iron wood.
74. Three pendants in lapis lazulae.
75. Two specimens of lapis lazulae.
76. A lapis lazulae pendant.
77. An inkstand made of malachite, on which the imperial dragons, &c., are curiously carved.
78. A piece of very pure malachite.
79. The top of a box with trees and birds; the stone is what the Chinese use for printing.
80. A piece of rock crystal, with Chinese subjects, dragons, &c.
81. A dog of Fo-ki, in rock crystal.
82. A crouched dragon, in very pure rock crystal.
83. One of the Emperor’s decorations, in rock crystal. The pierced work is of a very high order, and the stone remarkably pure; the subject is a sea-side view.
84. A square seal, with handle carved from the solid stone. This is a very beautiful object.
(See Catalogue of Captain de Negroni's Collection of Porcelain, Jade, Jewels, Silks, Furs, Stones, &c., from Yuen-Min-Yuen, (The Summer Palace) Pekin, London: McCorquodale & Co. 1865, pp. 18–20.) The collection was sold through Messrs. Foster in June 1866. (16 June 1866, Birmingham Gazette, p. 4.)
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0045 An Exhibition of Fine Arts at Brighton, Sussex County, opened on 24 June 1867 in the Brighton Pavilion. Mr. G. Dudell, a member of the organizing committee, lent a ‘Seal of Rock Crystal, in the form of a grotesque animal on a square pedestal, taken at the Summer Palace’. (Southern Counties’ Association Catalogue of Works of Art and Industry, Exhibited at the New Assembly Rooms, Royal Pavilion Grounds. Brighton, 1867, p. 83.) [also listed under seals.]
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0190 When the Arthur Wells collection was offered for sale through Messrs. Christie, Manson, and Woods in 1883 it was reported that ‘Mr. Wareham was a leading buyer, securing a large yellow-and-green [sic] agate snuff bottle, carved with birds and animals, from the Pekin Summer Palace, for £14 5s.’ (2 May 1883, Nottingham Evening Post, p. 4.) 26 February 2016.
中文:
1883 年 克里斯蒂 拍卖 了 Arthur Wells 的 收藏品。 一份 报 纸报 了「Wareham 先生是主要买家。 他 用 十 四 镑 二 十 五 分 钱 成功 拍 得 了 一 个 出自 北京 圆明园 的 刻 有 鸟 兽 的 黄 绿 玛瑙 大 鼻烟壶 」。 (一八八三 年五月二日, 诺丁汉 晚报,第四页。)
张小蕾和凯特 · 希尔（Kate Hill）
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0224 A will dated 5 November 1890 of Mr. Tomkyns Dew included the following: ‘The testator bequeaths £100. and his agate-and-gold snuffbox from the Summer Palace at Pekin to his brother, Major F. Napleton Dew’. (20 May 1891, Birmingham Daily Post, p. 6.) 26 February 2016.
中文:
一八九一 年， 一 份 伯明翰 报 纸报 道 了 Tomkyns Dew 的 遗嘱。 这个 遗嘱的日期是 一八九零 年 十一月 五日。 报纸 陳述：「这个 亡故者 遗赠 了 一 百 英 镑 以及 他 的 出自 北京 圆明园 的 镶金玛瑙 鼻烟 盒 给 他的兄弟，F. Napleton Dew 少校 」。(一八九一 年 五 月 二十日，伯明翰 日 报，第 六 页。）
张小蕾和凯特 · 希尔（Kate Hill）
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All material on this page, unless otherwise credited, was produced by Kate Hill, who asserts her authorship of the work. © Kate Hill, Yuanmingyuan Artefact Index, 2016.