Caved Agalloch Depicting Nine Elders in Fragrant Hill
By Yang Weizhan
in 1741
18cm high and 9cm wide
This woodcarving, made by Cantonese artisan Yang Weizhan, was no bigger than a palm book. It was carved out of a piece of agalloch depicting nine elders having a literal gathering at fragrant hill in today's Luoyang City, Henan Province. All the characters are rather vivid: One is writing poems on the rock in the presence of two friends; four intellectuals are sitting around a table chatting happily; and the other two are leaning on the rocks appreciating the views; in the corner, two boy servants are making tea.
Dragon-design Horn-shaped Cup
Han Dynasty (206BC- 220AD)
18.3 cm high and 10.1 cm wide
Made of greenish-white jade
This cup is fashioned from a whitish nephrite with green undertones and brown mottling. It resembles an animal horn with a rounded rectangular cross section. The obverse face of the cup is adorned with a dragon motif. The dragon is shown lifting its head from the upper left corner and its body snaking downward in an S-shape to the base of the vessel.
On the reverse side is a phoenix in low relief and an S-shaped body. Its disproportionately long tail extends to the base of the cup, where it meets with the dragon tail. The decorative designs of the cup impart an exceptional sense of rhythm, equilibrium and harmony through their balanced arrangement and alternating use of matter and space.
The cup shown above sits on an elaborately carved paduak base carved with a design of billowing waves. The inside of the base is carved in gilt intaglio with six characters, whose meaning is still unclear.
Treasure Box
Qing Dynasty
Such kind of cabinet was also called the Emperor’s Toy Chest because it was used to store their favorite collections. The cylindrical box is composed of four fan-shaped sections which form an ornamental screen when opened out. The interior of the piece contains many small compartments and levels, some of which are moveable. Each section is also fitted with a tiny drawer that swings out. The case holds a total of 27 pieces of jade, miniature scrolls, and tiny albums.
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