Beschreibung:

A RARE IMPERIALLY-INSCRIBED RED AND BLACK LACQUER CARVED TEA BOWLQianlong seal marks and of the period, the inscription dated Bingyin year, corresponding to 1746 and of the period The vessel with deep rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a gently flaring rim, carved to the exterior through layers of cinnabar red lacquer to a black diaper-pattern ground with an Imperial poem, 'Three-Purity Tea,' Sanqing Cha, dated to the Bingyin year (corresponding to 1746) followed by the seals Qian and Long, all between two borders of ruyi designs encircling the rim and foot, reserved on leiwen grounds around the foot and rim, the red-lacquered base intaglio-carved with a six-character seal mark within a recessed square, the interior lacquered brown, wood stand and box. 11.5cm (4 1/2in) diam. (3).Footnotes清乾隆 御製剔紅御題詩三清茶盌 「大清乾隆年製」、「乾隆丙寅小春御題」款 、「乾」、「隆」印 Provenance: Galerie Gerard Levy, Paris 來源： 巴黎古董商Galerie Gerard Levy The present tea bowl would have perhaps been part of a tea set used by the Qianlong emperor at tea ceremonies held during New Year celebrations. The vessel is inscribed with one of his favourite poems, Sanqing cha ('Three-Purity Tea'), which he wrote during the Bingyin year (1746), on the occasion of his 36th birthday while sipping tea in his studio on a cold winter's day. The poem refers to the tea made from plum blossoms, finger citron and pine nut kernels, which was offered to the Emperor during his visit to the sacred mountain Wutai. When brewed together in snow water, these three ingredients gave the tea a unique flavour and purity. The poem further describes the virtues of tea making and drinking, which reminded one of the Buddhist values of simplicity, austerity and purity. As a consummate connoisseur, the Qianlong emperor combined art and tea at intimate gatherings within the Palace walls. A party hosted by the Emperor was a remarkable experience, an aesthetic convergence of artwork and tea leaf. The Qianlong emperor brewed and tasted tea using the finest objects in the Palace Collection, a great treasure of implements and wares dating back to the eleventh century. During a gathering, the talk flowed from the age and glaze of a tea vessel to the specific number of buds and leaves plucked for a particular tea. Brewed and served, the tea itself was appreciated for its hue, scent and flavour, prompting a new yet leisurely stream of comments and observations. On the occasion of the New Year celebrations, the emperor held a tea-drinking banquet in the Palace of Cherished Glory, Chonghua Gong, in the Forbidden City, where he asked his guests to compose poetry, and as a token of his appreciation, he rewarded the best poet with a 'Sanqingcha' bowl. The famous poem is recorded in the 'Anthology of Imperial Qianlong poems and prose' Qing gaozong yuzhi shiwen quanji, 'Imperial Poems' Yuzhi shiwen chuji, vol.1, chapter 36, p.17, and may be translated as: The plum blossom in appearance not ostentatious, The finger citron, scented and fresh, Pine nuts of most fragrant aroma, Three ingredients of outstanding purity. An infusion is brewed in a shallow tripod vessel, And the ingredients steeped in snow-water collected in a bamboo casket. After coming to a boil, bubbles like the eyes of fish or crabs can be seen in the surface of the water, Steam rises from the tripod appearing to alternate between Utpadanirodha birth and death. Teacups from the kilns of Yue sprinkled with Immortals' milk, The warmth of my yurt is agreeable to the joy of the mystic trance. The five Buddhist Skanda purify the greater part of all things, Spiritual awakening may occur but cannot be spoken of. The sweet smelling ingredients are dealt with and suitably delivered, Silky smooth the Immortals' wine, clear and limpid. Wo Quan's offering may be eaten. Lin Bu can admire the change of seasons. Nonchalantly the Koan of the Zhaozhou monk may be uttered, And the eccentricity of Yu Chuanzi laughed at heartily. On a cold night in winter, listening to the sound of