清宮舊藏寶石盆景研究

Abstract

本論文以十八至二十世紀清代宮廷所使用的寶石盆景為主要討論對象，透過文獻及實物作品，並比對不同宮廷工藝品，試圖釐清並勾勒出當時寶石盆景在宮中製作、使用的情形，以確認其造做目的以及其於宮中的定位。

首先，追溯寶石盆景可能的淵源，藉由明清時期的文獻、圖像與實物，確認製作這類作品時，除了參考明代以來流行的花樹與山石盆景外，在造型、用料與視覺效果的呈現上更可能奠基於山子、珊瑚插瓶與像生通草花等。而第三章回歸清宮的脈絡，前半部分整理寶石盆景所使用材料與採用的技法，從而建立基本形式，再進行斷代與分期以判斷寶石盆景的重裝下限以及探討風格發展。後半部分則再透過《活計檔》與實物材料，嘗試重建造辦處製作寶石盆景的歷程，而經比對雕刻山子、寶石鑲嵌製品與自鳴鐘等宮廷工藝品，並調查參與製作的工匠性質，確認跨作別、工種的製作模式促使盆景發展出多樣化的形式，又其選料結果、呈現效果也說明贊助者與造辦處匠人在製作想法上趨向一致，更體現出如真似假的視覺效果，反映出十八世紀工藝品的特色。最後，透過皇帝對「吉言」的彙整與以吉言命名活計的實踐，進一步理解萬壽盛典中所體現的無量壽佛信仰，並結合園林造景的觀念，指出宮廷製作寶石盆景的目的並非僅為取代天然盆景，而是藉由視覺表現與物質選擇的交會，使其宛如真實，以具體呈現對「壽意」的追求與極樂理想的體現。

具體而言，寶石盆景的樣貌反映的不只是十八世紀工藝品的風格趨向，在清宮的脈絡中，它們更是藉由特定材質的選擇、展示空間性質、吉祥寓意母題以及宗教信仰等的結合，反映出皇家以及造辦處工匠們的巧思與意圖，成為一種代表清代宮廷的特殊品類。

Focusing on the gemstone bonsai (寶石盆景) employed at the Qing court from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century, this thesis draws on archival texts, works, and comparisons with related court arts to reconstruct how these miniature landscapes were made and used, clarifying both their intended functions and their place within palace culture.

The discussion first retraces their possible origins. Ming- and Qing-period texts, images, and objects reveal that, beyond the well-known traditions of floral-and-rock bonsais, court artisans also borrowed from miniature mountains (shān zi), coral display vases, and life-like paper (Tong-Cao) flowers, shaping the bonsai’s forms, materials, and visual effects. Then shifts back to the inner-Qing-court context. Its first half classifies the materials and techniques of gemstone bonsai and establishes a basic typology, using stylistic seriation to date individual pieces and chart their formal evolution. The second half re-builds the production process through the Imperial workshop archives (Huo Ji Dang) and related works. By comparing carved miniature mountains (shān zi), jeweled inlay wares (Bai-bao Qian), and automaton clocks—and by identifying the many kinds of craftsmen involved—the chapter shows how cross-genre, cross-craft collaboration fostered highly diverse bonsai forms. Choices of material and finish demonstrate a shared aesthetic vision between imperial patrons and workshop artisans, achieving the trompe-l’œil effects that typify eighteenth-century Qing luxury crafts. Finally, examining the emperors’ compilation of auspicious “propitious sayings” (ji-yan) and their practice of naming objects after them highlights the role of Amitāyus devotion in grand longevity festivals. Coupled with garden-making concepts, these findings suggest that gemstone bonsai were not simply substitutes for natural bonsais; rather, through carefully orchestrated materials and hyper-realistic imagery, they embodied the court’s pursuit of long life and an earthly vision of the Pure Land.

In sum, gemstone bonsai reflect more than general eighteenth-century stylistic currents. Within the palace they merged specific material choices, tailored display settings, auspicious iconography, and Buddhist belief, showcasing the ingenuity and intention of the Qing court and its artisans and forming a distinctive category of imperial craftsmanship.