Lot 8031 The Ruan Yuan–Duanfang ‘Vulture Crag’ scholar’s rock, Ming dynasty; the rock inscribed by Ruan Yuan, dated the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796); the accompanying wood stand inscribed Taozhai qinggong and Duanfang | 明　「鷲巖」石供　清嘉慶元年（1796年）　 阮元題銘　 木座「陶齋清供」、「端方」款

The Ruan Yuan–Duanfang ‘Vulture Crag’ scholar’s rock, Ming dynasty; the rock inscribed by Ruan Yuan, dated the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796); the accompanying wood stand inscribed Taozhai qinggong and Duanfang | 明　「鷲巖」石供　清嘉慶元年（1796年）　 阮元題銘　 木座「陶齋清供」、「端方」款

HKD 6,000,000

6,000,000 - 10,000,000 HKD

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the front inscribed in clerical script with Jiuyan (Vulture Rock), followed by a running script inscription reading Jiaqing yuannian, Ruan Yuan ti (inscribed by Ruan Yuan in the first year of the Jiaqing reign [1796]), the stand inscribed Taozhai qinggong (Pure offering for the Tao Studio) and with a seal mark of Duanfang
overall with stand 35 by 23.5 by h. 34 cm
来源：Collection of Ruan Yuan (1764–1849).
The Bao Hua An Collection of Duanfang (1861–1911).
Collection of the Yuan Shikai (1859–1916) family, thence by descent, by repute.
An Asian private collection, acquired from the above family in the early 2000s.
著录：Nicolas Chow, The Literati Aesthetic, Hong Kong, 2018, no. 39.
图录
说明：來源
清嘉慶提督浙江學政阮元（1764–1849年）舊藏
晚清直隸總督端方（寶華庵，1861–1911年）舊藏
傳袁世凱（1859–1916年）家族舊藏
亞洲私人收藏，於二十世紀初購於上述來源
出版
仇國仕，《無盡意》，香港，2018年，編號39
This magnificent Ying rock, characterised by its striking horizontal orientation and intricate 'withered wood' (kumu) texture, stands as a testament to the highest ideals of Chinese literati taste. The stone features natural quartz veins that cascade down its surface, evocative of waterfalls plunging down a mountainous landscape. The horizontal sedimentary layers mimic the grain of ancient, weathered wood, achieving the highly sought-after aesthetic realm where the boundaries between wood and stone dissolve.
The historical significance of this scholar's rock is firmly established by its inscriptions. The principal inscription, carved in powerful clerical script, reads Jiuyan (Vulture Rock), accompanied by a smaller running script dedication dating to the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796) by the eminent scholar-official Ruan Yuan (1764–1849). 'Vulture Rock' is a classical reference to Feilai Peak at the Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. Historical records indicate that in the winter of 1795, Ruan Yuan was appointed as the Director of Education for Zhejiang province. This rock, resembling a miniature Feilai Peak, was likely acquired and inscribed by Ruan Yuan to commemorate his new post and his scholarly investigations of the region's stone carvings.
In the late Qing dynasty, this treasured stone entered the collection of Duanfang (1861–1911), a prominent Manchu official, Viceroy of Zhili, and one of the most celebrated antiquarians of his time. Revering the legacy of Ruan Yuan, Duanfang commissioned a bespoke wood stand to perfectly cradle the rock's irregular contours. The stand is masterfully carved with swirling waves and clouds, elevating the stone as a mythical peak rising from the sea. It bears the elegantly carved inscription Taozhai qinggong (Elegant Offerings of the Taozhai Studio) and a seal mark of Duanfang, seamlessly unifying the rugged natural beauty of the stone with refined Qing craftsmanship.
Duanfang’s collection, known as the Bao Hua An Collection, was widely dispersed after he passed away in 1911. This exceptional rock was said to be subsequently acquired by the family of Yuan Shikai (1859–1916), the first President of the Republic of China, likely through his second son, the renowned connoisseur Yuan Kewen (1889–1931).
在東方文人賞石與金石學的範疇中，一塊頂級的供石往往超越了自然界的鬼斧神工，成為歷史風雲與文人精英心靈交織的文化載體。此件《鷲巖》枯木紋英石山子，集「自然造化之絕」、「乾嘉泰斗之蹟」、「晚清重臣之治」與「民國巨頭家族之遞藏」於一身，石、座、銘、源四位一體，誠為海內外藝術品市場上極為罕見的文房史詩級重器。
此件英石山子呈標準的「橫嶺」與全景式山脈橫卷比例。石體正面與側面貫穿數條極為醒目的縱向白色石英脈，宛如「鷲嶺飛瀑」或山間流淌的清泉。石體橫向佈滿極為規整的沉積紋路，頂部斷面呈現密集的微細岩層線，肌理極似風化千年的木質纖維。這種「外貌似枯木、本質為磐石」的奇絕結構，在傳統賞石界被尊稱為「枯木紋英石」，達到了「木石不分」的最高觀賞境界。
石面核心處以瘦硬沉著的漢隸大字題刻「鷲巖」，左側行草小字款署「嘉慶元年，阮元題」。在佛教與文人語境中，「鷲巖」向來是杭州西湖靈隱寺前「飛來峰」的代稱。據史料記載，乾隆六十年（1795年）冬，金石學一代宗師阮元調任浙江學政。嘉慶元年（1796年）正值其初到浙江履新。此石洞壑連綿、橫向展開的山勢，宛如飛來峰之真骨縮小於盈掌之間，阮元獲此神品，遂揮毫題名，以為其初任浙江學政之黃金紀念。
晚清時期，此石流傳至直隸總督、金石大藏家端方（號匋齋）之「寶華庵」。端方對阮元極其景仰，特請良工依據英石底部不規則的內凹線條，量身打造此尊紅木隨形座。木座右側加厚，以翻騰的海水江崖紋承托住向右下瀉的山勢。木座正面以流暢刀法鐫刻「陶齋清供」，左側署篆書印「端方」。整件作品安放其上，宛如微縮靈鷲山自雲海拔地而起，將石之剛硬與座之柔美完美融合。
宣統三年（1911年）端方遇害後，其龐大珍藏多有散佚。此件帶有阮元題刻、端方配座的雙重名家加持神品，據傳隨後轉入大總統袁世凱家族，極可能為其子、民國收藏巨擘袁克文（號寒雲）所珍存。