猛獁牙橋 – 吉慶滿堂（朱宗盛）
【虹橋載瑞，仙境靈牙】
此尊「吉慶滿堂」猛獁牙橋為當代國家級猛獁牙雕大師-朱宗盛先生原作，以「天街虹影，萬福歸堂」為意象，化萬年冰封靈牙為通天神橋。精選千年猛獁牙，質如凝脂，色若皎月，天然弧形宛若虹橋淩空。匠人依形施藝，在弧形牙面上層層鏤刻、浮雕，再現《瑤池吉慶圖》：但見樓閣疊嶂，廊腰縵回，仙娥執扇，壽老攜桃，眾仙揖讓其間。橋身蜿蜒處祥雲流轉，金色壽星點綴其中，似有仙樂隨風而至，一派天上人間共慶長春的華盛景象。
【麒座擎虹，玄雲托玉京】
底部紫檀雕雲紋麒麟座，與牙橋構成「地天交泰」之境。座上一雙麒麟昂首騰躍，足踏金雲，目含霹靂，既鎮守四方，又似欲躍上仙橋同赴盛會。深玄底色托舉皎白牙橋，如夜幕襯銀河，令金色壽星、朱閣綺戶更顯輝煌璀璨。整體佈局暗合「天圓地方」古理：弧形橋為乾，方正座為坤，麒麟獻瑞為引，使仙俗兩界在此虹橋上相會，寓意「天地吉慶，福壽滿堂」。
「一彎虹橋通天禧，萬裏祥雲入堂來」
——朱宗盛 謹呈
MAMMOTH TUSK BRIDGE (Zhu Zongsheng)
[Rainbow Bridge Bearing Auspiciousness, Immortal Realm’s Sacred Ivory]
This “Jubilant Hall Overflowing with Bliss” mammoth ivory bridge is an original masterpiece by contemporary national-level mammoth ivory carving master Mr. Zhu Zongsheng. Inspired by the imagery of “a rainbow arching across the celestial street, endless blessings gathering in the hall,” it transforms millennia‑old frozen sacred ivory into a transcendent bridge reaching the heavens. Crafted from a thousand‑year‑old mammoth tusk, its texture is as smooth as congealed cream, its color as pure as the bright moon, and its natural arc resembles a rainbow soaring through the sky. Following the form, the artisan meticulously carved layers of openwork and bas‑relief on the curved ivory surface, recreating the “Auspicious Celebration at the Jade Pond”: layered pavilions and winding corridors appear before the eyes, with fairy maidens holding fans, the God of Longevity carrying peaches, and immortals bowing courteously to one another. Where the bridge curves, auspicious clouds drift, and golden stars of longevity are scattered throughout, as if celestial music is carried by the wind—a magnificent scene of heaven and earth jointly celebrating eternal spring.
[Kylin Pedestal Upholding the Rainbow, Mystical Clouds Cradling the Jade Capital]
The base, carved from purple sandalwood with cloud patterns and kylins (Chinese unicorns), forms, together with the ivory bridge, a realm of “harmony between heaven and earth.” A pair of kylins on the pedestal leap upward with heads held high, treading on golden clouds, eyes flashing like lightning—both guarding the four directions and as if about to spring onto the celestial bridge to join the grand gathering. The deep, mysterious background elevates the bright white ivory bridge like the night sky setting off the Milky Way, making the golden longevity stars and vermilion pavilions all the more resplendent. The overall composition subtly echoes the ancient principle of “round heaven and square earth”: the arched bridge represents heaven (Qian), the square pedestal represents earth (Kun), and the kylins presenting auspiciousness serve as a guide, allowing the immortal and mortal realms to meet upon this rainbow bridge, symbolizing “auspicious celebration between heaven and earth, blessings and longevity filling the hall.”
“One curved rainbow bridge ascends to celestial joy, A thousand miles of auspicious clouds enter the hall.”
— Respectfully presented by Zhu Zongsheng
