An important and exceptionally rare imperial carved amber 'five dragons' 'jingyun qinian' seal,Qing dynasty, Kangxi period清康熙 康熙帝御寶琥珀五龍鈕璽 印文：景運耆年of rectangular section, masterfully carved with a mountain-like knop encompassing the writhing bodies of five vigorous three-clawed and five-clawed dragons, each beast twisting and weaving amid wispy clouds and flames with their long flowing manes and layers of scales delicately picked out with fine well-defined lines, the base carved with the characters jingyun qinian in seal script enclosed within a single line border, the amber of rich translucent golden reddish-orange colour with a small area of slight mistiness2.5 by 4.2 by h. 5 cm来源: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 23rd October 2005, lot 385.香港蘇富比2005年10月23日，編號385拍品专文: On the Kangxi Emperor’s 'Jingyun qinian' Amber SealGuo FuxiangThis truly exceptional seal belonged to the Qing dynasty Kangxi Emperor and was designated for imperial use. In the Kangxi Baosou held at the Beijing Palace Museum one can find an entry cataloguing this seal distinguished by its amber material, a dragon emerging from the clouds as its finial and the characters “Jingyun qinian” carved in relief. The actual piece conforms to the features described in the Baosou in terms of its texture, shape, size, style of inscription, as well as the design of the characters. Having assembled and assessed all evidence, it can be said that this seal is an authentic piece from the Emperor’s private collection.Without a doubt, imperial seals are never randomly commissioned. The inscription carved onto a seal stealthily reveals the Emperor’s philosophical spirit and psychological state— the same kind of association can be drawn between the Kangxi Emperor and this particular amber rendition. “Jingyun” in “Jingyun qinian” can be defined as divine fortune, good times, implicating not only strength and prosperity for the nation, but also peace and happiness for the subjects. Zhou Shu: Du Gu Xin Zhuan includes a line that roughly reads “Taking advantage of the present state of prosperity, the opportune moment has arrived to commence construction work for zhao wei.” Retaining the same connotation, the phrase recurs in Song writer Chen Yanshao’s Geng Qi Poems, where he asks, “Encountering times of prosperity, how should the destitute scholar repay his country?” As for the two subsequent characters “Qinian” which refers to 60 years of age, here we can safely assume that the seal refers to the Kangxi Emperor when he was 60. Indeed, according to the contents in Qing Shi Lu [Annals of the Qing Dynasty], in the 56th year of the Kangxi period, in the 11th month, on the 21st day, the Kangxi Emperor summoned all the princes as well as his officials and ministers to the Dongnuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace within the Forbidden City where he dispatched a lengthy instructional text for his own imperial will. The contents mention that “The day that I realised it has been 20 years since I have taken the throne, I would never have anticipated that it would extend to 30; on the 30th year, I did not expect to raise the count up to 40 years; now, 57 years have already passed…I am nearing 70 years in age, my sons and grandsons amount to 150 or more, peace reigns within the empire and harmony pervades the nation.” At that time, the Kangxi Emperor was 64, hence his claim that he was about to turn 70. Five years later, the Emperor passed away at age 67 and never reached 70. As a result, amendments to the imperial will were subsequently made. Now held at China’s First Lishi Dangan Guan (Institute of Historical Archives), Kangxi Yizhao [Kangxi’s Will] which meticulously chronicles the Emperor’s biography reads, “I have reached 60 this year, the land from all directions are under my control, my descendants are easily 150 or more, my domain is filled with accord and happiness.”This modification greatly aids us in grasping the meaning behind the two characters “Qinian” in the seal’s entire inscription “Jingyun qinian.” Multiple layers of inferences can be derived: firstly, that the Kangxi Emperor had commissioned this seal around when he was 60, in other words, the 52nd year (1713) of Kangxi period; secondly, the words in the inscription accurately reflect the Kangxi Emperor’s psyche at the time, hoping for good health, a peaceful nation, contented subjects and cordial family relations. Such a wish was appropriately timed with the Kangxi Emperor’s fine physical condition, as well as a thriving Chinese nation. This imperial seal, in truth, is one of a kind. Its rarity lies in the use of such an unconventional material. The mineral amber is the result of tree resin having been buried in the depths of the earth for thousands and thousands of years, to eventually petrify into a hard substance. Its texture is extremely fine and extraordinarily silky, polished to a lustrous finish. Its colour is both luminescent and unpredictable. In history, amber has typically been used to manufacture jewellery or decorative items. Very seldom has the mineral been used for seals. Among so many imperial seals, this is the only amber example extant. The Kangxi Emperor’s amber seal boasts a rich orange-brown colour and emanates a subtle pine fragrance. Under beams of light, the stone emerges translucent as a sudden outburst of scintillating stars appears from within. Brilliant and splendid, its purity and exquisiteness rival that of a ruby. Inflicted with hundreds of years worth of oxidisation, the piece has been endowed with a diaphanous patina protecting its surface, as well as imparting an air of archaism.The carving of the seal merits attention and appreciation. Amber is a relatively soft mineral and brittle in nature, which makes it unusually difficult to carve. The top is carved in the form of dragons trapped among strata of clouds. The contours are fluid and natural with the illusion of the clouds amassing, yet dispersing at the same time. Five dragons dominate the finial above—they shuttle in and out, they appear and disappear, they twist and twirl. Even nuances like their scales and mane were included in this compelling, vigorous sculptural representation. This seal combines beauty of material, with exquisite craftsmanship, inspiring nothing short of absolute awe and utter admiration. Beyond the piece’s aesthetic value lie the scholarly and historical implications. Deciphering the inscription, we are presented with an exclusive opportunity to learn more about the Qing imperial seal collection, as well as better acquaint ourselves with the illustrious Kangxi Emperor.述康熙蜜臘「景運耆年」璽郭福祥 最近香港蘇富比拍賣公司從海外徵集到一方十分特別的璽印。此璽是清康熙皇帝的御用璽印之一，為蜜臘質地，印上部隨形雕雲龍，印文為陽文篆書「景運耆年」四字，在現藏於北京故宮博物院的《康熙寶藪》（康熙御璽印譜）中有明確著錄。將實物與《寶藪》比堪，無論是印材的形制、大小，還是印文的篆法、布局都與該書中的著錄完全一致，結合其他方面綜合考察，可以確定此璽為真品無疑。我們知道，皇帝寶璽的製作並不是隨意而為的，在璽文的選取上往往反映出皇帝的思想和心願，康熙的這方寶璽也不例外。「景運耆年」中的「景運」意思是好時運，特指國家昌盛、人民安樂。《周書．獨孤信傳》所載「今景運初開，椒闈肅建」和宋代陳岩肖《庚溪詩話》所講「寒儒逢景運，報國合如何？」中的「景運」都是這個意思。至於「耆年」二字，當是指人六十歲的時候，這應是特指康熙六十歲而言。為甚麼如此說呢？據《清實錄》記載，康熙五十六年十一月二十一日，康熙帝在紫禁城內乾清宮東暖閣召見諸皇子及滿漢大臣，發表了日後作為遺詔的長篇面諭，其中講到：「當日覽御至二十年時，不敢逆料至三十年。三十年時，不敢逆料至四十年。今已五十七年矣。……今联年將七十，子孫曾孫百五十餘人，天下粗安，四海承平。」當時康熙六十四歲，故有「今联年將七十」之謂。但五年以後康熙薨逝時六十九歲，並沒有到七十歲，因此，發表的康熙遺詔也做了相應的修訂。現存於中國第一歷史檔案館的《康熙道詔》中在歷數其一生經歷之後這様寫到：「今朕年已登耆，富有四海，子孫百五十餘人，天下安樂。」這一改動對我們認識康熙此方「景運耆年」璽中的「耆年」二字大有幫助，即無疑指的是他六十歲而言。通過此我們可以得到如下信息：一是此璽製作於康熙六十歲左右，也就是康熙五十二年（1713年）前後；二是真實反映出康熙當時的心理狀態，表達了他身體康健、四海承平、人民安樂、家睦人和的美好願望，而這一願望與當時康熙的身體狀況、國家形勢的背景正相符合。說此璽十分特別，還在於其特殊的材質。蜜臘這種礦物質是樹脂埋在地底深層，經數千萬年逐漸石化而成，其肌理細膩如脂，觸手溫潤熨貼，色彩瑰麗神秘，一直受到人們的喜愛。在歷史上，蜜臘多用來製作首飾或裝飾品，用以製作印章則十分少見，就帝后璽印而言，這是筆者見到的唯一的一例。康熙此璽通體為紅褐色，聞之有淡淡的松香氣味。光照之下呈半透明狀，其內爆出晶亮的金星，璀燦瑰麗，有如紅實石般純淨細膩，瑩潤可愛，是蜜臘中極為珍貴的品種，實為難得。加之幾百年的氧化，表面形成了一層細密的包漿，顯出盈盈古意，更加珍貴。此璽之雕工亦相當精緻。蜜臘雖硬度較低，但易極生脆，容易崩裂，故雕製不易。而康熙此璽印體下部切割成規矩的長方體。上部隨形雕雲龍，其雲紋線條自然流暢，或聚或散，與蜜臘本身具有的流動質感相得益彰，五條行龍或隱或現，騰挪翻轉，相互顧盼，出沒於雲間，鱗甲鬚髮畢現，神態生動，具有相當高的水平。此璽融天然美質與精湛工藝於一身，令人賞心悦目，愛不釋手。此璽的出現，也為全面研究和認識康熙寶璽提供了難得的資料。