收納狀態的旅行文具箱

Stationery case used as a container.

Stationary Case

The stationery case was made during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty for the convenience of the emperor to read and handle government affairs while he was traveling.

This stationery case was ingeniously designed. When the four legs were placed in the slots, it served as a box to store stationery. When a mechanical device was pressed, the four legs could be dragged out, and the wooden case was placed adversely, transforming it into a 40-centimeter-tall desk. It was suitable for Emperor Qianlong, who loved traveling.

The case has two drawers with grids used to hold the emperor's diverse delicate stationery such as white jade brush washers, Songhua inkstones, stone seals, gold-lacquered brush pens with dragon patterns, and silver drawing apparatus sets, 64 pieces/sets in total. All of them were favorite stationery of Emperor Qianlong.

In 2008, the Palace Museum and the Louvre in France jointly organized the Napoleon I exhibition, and a suitcase used by Napoleon was exhibited at the Palace Museum for the first time. It is a rectangular case made of mahogany that stored up to 92 travel items, 78 of which were toiletries. It also has a hidden mechanical device, and when pressed, a mirror would pop out for makeup.

The two cases for traveling are both ingenious. They not only reflect the differences and commonalities between Chinese and Western cultures, but also condense everyday wisdom and aesthetics.

變成書桌的旅行文具箱

Stationery case used as a desk.

旅行文具箱

旅行文具箱為中國清朝乾隆時期制作，用于乾隆皇帝出行時處理政務和讀書。此文具箱設計精巧，四條桌腿放在箱槽中時，它是一個可收納的箱子，按動機關，拉出桌腿固定好，再翻轉木箱，就變成高40厘米的書桌，很適合喜愛旅行的乾隆皇帝。箱內有兩個屜盒，盒內是多寶格，可放置小巧精細的文具，如白玉洗、松花江石硯、石章、描金云龍紋筆、銀制成套繪圖器等，共64件/套，均是乾隆皇帝喜用的文房佳品。

2008年，故宮博物院和法國盧浮宮博物館聯合舉辦“盧浮宮·拿破侖一世展”，拿破侖的旅行用品箱第一次來到故宮。這是以桃花心木制成的長方形箱子，存放的旅行用品多達92件，其中78件是梳洗用品。箱蓋里也暗藏著一個機關，按動后出現一面鏡子，供箱主人梳妝打扮之用。

兩個旅行箱有異曲同工之妙，不僅體現出中西不同文化之間鮮明個性，也有相通的共性，皆凝結了人們對智慧和美的思考與實踐。