A WUCAI 'SAGES' INCENSE BURNER

Shunzhi

Footnotes

清順治 五彩高士圖香爐 配日本製金屬蓋

Provenance: Mujintang collection, no. Q48 (label)
Robert Bradlow Fine Art, UK
John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.122

來源： 沐錦堂，編號Q48（據標籤）
英國 Robert Bradlow Fine Art
大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號122

The decoration on the present of a scholar gazing at lotus could refer to the Song dynasty Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi (1017–1073). One of Zhou Dunyi's notable writings includes a famous passage where he reflects upon the lotus flower as a symbol of moral purity and spiritual enlightenment. In this text, Zhou Dunyi describes how the lotus grows in muddy waters yet remains unstained, representing the potential for humans to cultivate virtue amidst the challenges of life. This admiration for the lotus not only showcases Zhou Dunyi's philosophical insights but also underscores the enduring significance of natural symbolism in Chinese thought.

The fisherman could refer to the story set in the 12th/11th century BC, in which King Wen of Zhou sought the advice of the hermit scholar Jiang Ziya, later known as Taigongwang. According to Chinese history, the last king of the Shang dynasty was corrupt and cruel. Jiang Ziya had once served him, but was disillusioned and retired to spend the rest of his days fishing, waiting to serve a new and moral king. It is said that he used no hook at all, believing that the fish would come to him on their own, echoing the future King Wen who later sought him out to serve him. Such legends from history, of scholars waiting to serve more morally upright regimes, would have resonated with the literati class during the turbulent period of the late Ming to early Qing dynasties.