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唐代筆記 vol.21 上海博物館:對比三面上博藏唐代螺鈿鏡 - Shangahi Museum, Comparing Three Tang Dynasty ‘Mother of Pearl’ Bronze Mirror



螺鈿,又稱螺甸、螺填、鈿嵌、陷蚌、坎螺、以及‘羅鈿,在歷史上也有叫鈿螺的,它是中國特有的藝術瑰寶。


所謂‘螺鈿’,是指用螺殼與海貝磨製成人物、花鳥、幾何圖形或文字等薄片,根據畫面需要而鑲嵌在器物表面的裝飾工藝的總稱。

螺鈿的「鈿」字,據《辭海》中注釋,為鑲嵌裝飾之意。


由於螺鈿是一種天然之物,外觀天生麗質,具有十分強烈的視覺效果,因此也是一種最常見的傳統裝飾顏藝術,被廣泛應用於漆器、傢具、樂器、屏風、盒匣、盆碟、木雕以及有關的工藝品上。



螺鈿的歷史


螺鈿的歷史非常悠久,相傳起源於商代的漆器。


20世紀80年代初,中國考古工作者在玻璃河西周燕國墓地發掘到不少西周嵌螺鈿漆器,其中有1件漆器,上面的彩繪獸面鳳鳥紋就採用了螺鈿工藝,這是迄今為止所見到的世界上最早的螺鈿漆器之一。至唐代,中國的螺鈿工藝已達到相當成熟的地步,尤其是銅鏡漆背螺鈿,更是這一時期的工藝瑰寶。



上海博物館藏有三件十分精美的唐代螺鈿鏡,其中一件更是鑲嵌了紅寶石,並巧妙利用紅寶石的顏色作為建築的空間元素,十分特殊。




除了螺蚌貝殼外,還鑲嵌青金石、綠松石等寶石,以及紅琥珀等材料,使得銅鏡更加華麗。螺鈿鏡的漆地為黑色,螺鈿為白色,再加上其他玉石,使得銅鏡更加五彩斑斕。



螺鈿工藝常見問題解答

什麼是螺鈿?螺鈿還有哪些其他名稱?

螺鈿(螺鈿)是一種鑲嵌裝飾工藝,其技法是將薄片化的螺殼或海貝精心製作成圖案(如人物、花卉、鳥獸、幾何圖形或文字),嵌入器物表面進行裝飾。螺鈿又稱螺甸(螺甸)、鈿嵌(鈿嵌)、陷蚌(陷蚌)、坎螺(坎螺)或羅鈿(羅鈿),在歷史上也被稱為鈿螺(鈿螺)。螺鈿被譽為中國獨特的藝術瑰寶。


“螺鈿”中的“鈿”字有什麼特別含義?

根據《辭海》的解釋,螺鈿中的“鈿”字意指“鑲嵌裝飾”,具體是指將材料鑲嵌於物體表面,用以增添美感的技法。


除了螺殼,螺鈿工藝還會使用哪些材料?

除了螺殼和海貝,螺鈿工匠還會採用其他珍貴材料來增添色彩和奢華感。特別是在唐代,常用的材料包括青金石、綠松石、紅琥珀,甚至紅寶石等珍稀寶石。


螺鈿工藝通常應用於哪些器物上?

螺鈿工藝廣泛應用於漆器、家具、樂器、屏風、盒匣、托盤、木雕以及相關工藝品上。其多樣性使得螺鈿成為傳統裝飾藝術中極受歡迎的技法之一。


螺鈿的起源是什麼?

螺鈿工藝的起源傳統上被追溯至商代的漆器。已知最早的實物例證可追溯至西周時期,並且在後世逐漸發展為中國獨特的藝術形式。


玻璃河遺址發現的螺鈿漆器有何重要意義?

在西周燕國墓地的玻璃河遺址中,考古學家發現了大量嵌有螺鈿的漆器。這些漆器被認為是目前世界上已知最早的螺鈿作品之一。其中一件以螺鈿技法描繪了獸面與鳳鳥紋,展示了早期螺鈿工藝的高超技術與藝術成就。


哪個時期的螺鈿工藝最為鼎盛?有哪些代表性器物?

唐代被認為是螺鈿工藝的巔峰時期。這一時期的代表作品包括嵌有螺鈿的漆背銅鏡,被視為唐代工匠技藝的頂尖之作。


上海博物館收藏的唐代螺鈿鏡有何特殊之處?

上海博物館收藏的三件唐代螺鈿鏡極具特色:

  1. 其中一件鑲嵌了紅寶石,巧妙地運用紅寶石的色彩作為構圖的空間元素。

  2. 除螺殼外,還結合了青金石、綠松石、紅琥珀等珍稀材料,使作品更加奢華。

  3. 漆地為黑色,螺鈿呈白色,搭配其他色彩鮮艷的寶石,產生了強烈的視覺效果,極為華麗而迷人。



Lacquer Inlay (Mother-of-Pearl Inlay)

Lacquer inlay, also known as luodian (螺鈿), luotian (螺甸), dianqian (鈿嵌), xianbang (陷蚌), kanluo (坎螺), or luodian(羅鈿), and historically referred to as dianluo (鈿螺), is a uniquely Chinese artistic treasure.


What is Lacquer Inlay?

The term luodian refers to a decorative technique where thin slices of shells or sea mollusks are meticulously crafted into patterns, such as figures, flowers, birds, geometric shapes, or text, and then inlaid onto the surface of objects. According to the Cihai dictionary, the character "鈿" means "inlay decoration."

Due to the natural beauty and striking visual effects of the materials, luodian has become one of the most prominent traditional decorative arts. It has been widely applied to lacquerware, furniture, musical instruments, screens, boxes, trays, wood carvings, and related crafts.


The History of Lacquer Inlay

The history of luodian is long and illustrious, with its origins traditionally traced back to lacquerware from the Shang dynasty.


In the early 1980s, Chinese archaeologists unearthed numerous luodian lacquer pieces from the Western Zhou Dynasty at the Glass River site in the Yan Kingdom burial grounds. Among them was a lacquer object featuring painted motifs of animal faces and phoenixes created using luodian techniques. This piece is considered one of the earliest examples of luodian lacquerware in the world.


By the Tang dynasty, luodian techniques had reached an impressive level of sophistication, particularly evident in lacquer-backed bronze mirrors inlaid with mother-of-pearl. These mirrors are regarded as masterpieces of the era.


The Shanghai Museum houses three exquisite Tang dynasty luodian mirrors. One of these incorporates rubies into its design, using their vivid red color as spatial elements in the composition—a highly distinctive approach. In addition to shell and mollusk inlays, materials like lapis lazuli, turquoise, and red amber were also incorporated, enhancing the opulence of these mirrors. The lacquer base is typically black, contrasting with the white luodian and other gemstones, creating a dazzling, multicolored effect.



Frequently Asked Questions about Lacquer Inlay (螺鈿 - Luodian)

What is "luodian" (螺鈿) and what are some of its other names? Luodian (螺鈿), also known as luotian (螺甸), dianqian (鈿嵌), xianbang (陷蚌), kanluo (坎螺), or luodian(羅鈿), and historically referred to as dianluo (鈿螺), refers to a decorative technique where thin slices of shells or sea mollusks are meticulously crafted into designs (figures, flora, fauna, geometric shapes, or text) and then inlaid onto the surface of objects. It is considered a uniquely Chinese artistic treasure.


What does the character "鈿" signify in the term "螺鈿"? According to the Cihai dictionary, the character "鈿" in "螺鈿" specifically denotes "inlay decoration." It directly refers to the act of setting materials into a surface to embellish it.


What materials are typically used in luodian craftsmanship besides shells? While shells and sea mollusks are the primary materials, luodian artisans often incorporated other precious materials like lapis lazuli, turquoise, red amber, and even gemstones such as rubies to enhance the color and opulence of the inlaid objects, especially during the Tang Dynasty.


On what types of objects is luodian inlay typically found? Luodian has been widely applied to various objects, including lacquerware, furniture, musical instruments, screens, boxes, trays, wood carvings, and other related crafts. Its versatility as a decorative technique has made it popular across different art forms.


What is the historical origin of luodian? The origin of luodian is traditionally traced back to lacquerware from the Shang dynasty, though earlier known examples date back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. It has a long and rich history as a unique Chinese art form.


What is the significance of the luodian lacquerware found at the Glass River site? The discovery of luodian lacquer pieces at the Glass River site in the Yan Kingdom burial grounds, dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty, is significant as it features some of the earliest examples of luodian lacquerware in the world. Notably, one item utilized the technique to portray animal faces and phoenixes.


What period is considered the pinnacle of luodian craftsmanship, and what specific items best exemplify that period? The Tang dynasty is considered the zenith of luodian craftsmanship. Lacquer-backed bronze mirrors inlaid with mother-of-pearl from this period, such as those housed in the Shanghai Museum, are regarded as masterpieces that showcase the incredible skill of Tang artisans.


What makes the Tang dynasty luodian mirrors in the Shanghai Museum particularly special? The Shanghai Museum's collection of Tang dynasty luodian mirrors are considered special for multiple reasons: they incorporate rubies, using their color as part of the composition. They combine shell and mollusks inlays with other precious stones like lapis lazuli, turquoise, and red amber. The contrast of the black lacquer background with the white shell and other colorful stones produces a visually stunning and opulent effect.



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