A rare Guangzhou gilt-bronze paste-set 'Les troqueurs' mirror

Qianlong, circa 1760-1770

Footnotes

清乾隆 約1760-1770年 廣東作銅鎏金嵌寶石西洋人物鏡

The very rare gilt-bronze paste-set embellished mirror is a superb example of Chinese-European cultural interaction. In quality and manner of execution, it is similar to objects made in Guangdong as tribute to the Imperial Court.; see for example a gilt-bronze mirror mounted with a clock, Qianlong, illustrated in Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1987, no.80; and another related gilt-bronze gem-inset mirror frame incorporating a clock, Qianlong, which was sold at Christie's London, 14 May 2013, lot 153.

The inscription on the mirror refers to the Comic Opera by the French composer Antoine Dauvergne, first performed at the Foire Saint-Laurent in Paris on 30 July 1753 and revived by the Opéra-Comique at the Hôtel de Bourgogne on 26 February 1762. The depicted figure is most probably that of Margot and probably made after a print; see a related print depicting a scene from Les troqueurs with Margot, published by R.De Hooghe, Contes and nouvelles en vers par Mr de La Fontaine, Amsterdam, 1732, pl.45; see also a related tortoiseshell-framed mirror painted on the reverse with a lady, early 19th century, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, museum no.T.54-1939.

The story unfolds as follows:

Lubin is engaged to Margot, but he finds her a bit too flighty. His friend, Lucas, is engaged to Fanchon, but he finds her a bit too laid-back and languorous. The two men decide to swap partners, and inform their fiancées what they have decided. Outraged, Margot swears vengeance and after a whispered conversation the two women give their consent. Lucas tells Margot that he wants to make her happy, but when she replies that she loves spending money, abundance, games and dancing, he begins to regret his new choice. Lubin, too, has discovered that you can have too much of a good thing, and finds Fanchon's slowness an irritation. The men ask to be taken back by their former partners, but the women refuse until the men, on their knees, beg for pardon. Only when Lucas agrees to obey Fanchon in all things, and Lubin agrees that Margot will be the mistress of their household, do the women relent.

此銅鏡紋飾及主題具有明顯西洋風格，是當時中西文化交流的產物。其嵌寶、鏨花以及錘疊等工藝及裝飾手法均與廣東地區所作同類宮廷進貢銅鏡類似，對比一件北京故宮博物院藏清乾隆銅鎏金鐘錶鏡，著錄於《清代廣東貢品》，香港，1987年，編號80；另見倫敦佳士得曾售出一件清乾隆銅鎏金嵌寶石鐘錶鏡，2013年5月14日，拍品編號153。

銅鏡背面的羅馬字母為法國著名作曲家、小提琴家安托萬·杜凡恩的歌劇代表作「交換伴侶」的名稱，這部歌劇創作於1753年，內容詼諧幽默，對法國喜歌劇的發展有著重要的影響。羅馬字下的西洋人物應為歌劇中其中一位女主人公瑪格特，其形象應該借鑒同肖像的版畫而作，見R.De Hooghe，《Contes and nouvelles en vers par Mr de La Fontaine》，阿姆斯特丹，1732年，圖45；另見英國維多利亞及阿爾伯特博物館藏一件十九世紀早期玳瑁框畫西洋人物鏡，館藏編號T.54-1939。