The Missing Parts � | lau-hok-shing

三個月前，偶得一器，此器為木製衣箱，乃祖母七十多年前嫁與祖父時陪嫁之物。得此器的經過也彼為曲折。事原今年八月時爸爸不幸因病去世，在清理他在大陸寶安的房子時，在將被丟棄的雜物間發現一個破木箱，箱以薄木板製成，表黑油(媽媽說漆，實為油)，箱前正中有鼻紐，以便上鎖，背面有鉸兩枚，兩側各有提環，鼻紐、背鉸與提環皆為銅製。在十多年前父母回家鄉東莞探親時，在祖居發現此物，他們深知我愛好舊物，不理路途遙遠，專誠提箱歸返香港，路經寶安之家暫作寄存，一存就十多年了。

塵封多時的衣箱已殘破不堪，銅鉸破損，箱蓋已與箱身分離，箱底木板也因潮而霉朽。打開箱蓋時，竟箱中有箱，此箱為手提旅箱，藤製鐵鉸，乃祖父之物，當年發現衣箱時藤箱已在木箱之內。拿出藤箱後，刻見箱中有字，右側板上寫有一字為「月」，再次仔細查看，才發現蓋內也有一「月」字，祖母名羅月順，箱內「月」字可證為祖母之物。

為尋找多點此箱的資料，我訪問了祖母，祖父，母親與一眾親友，儘管祖母不太記起，但從他們口中得知的零碎資料，可重組此箱的來龍去脈。如用此經歷代入一次考古旅程，可謂是一次脈絡可尋的過程。在考證來歷時，可知此衣箱為家鄉之産物，而擁有者為祖母羅月順，在物上更寫有祖母名字之簡稱－「月」，可為人(擁有者) 與物(所擁有之物) 間互相印證。在器物保存方面，因個人的喜好，在收集不同器物時都極力保存得到時的狀況，縱然殘破也不多修補，盡量保留物上痕跡，一種可堪玩味的歷史痕跡，所以會將此木衣箱放進一形制略同，大小剛可容納它的玻璃箱內(本人非專業古物復修者，此法當然不是最佳的保存方法)，既可略作保存，又可展示。最後是器物展示方面，因參與此次藝術展覽，所以木箱以藝術作品的身份作展示。

對我而言，此物與他物不同之處，在於此物是情之載體，擁有者(或曾經擁有者) 為我的至親，對此物所起之情，已不因做工外形，所製之材料或稀有之程度，而是種連係，一種血脈的連係，可為寄情於物之傳承。

今人得見舊時月，有幸得遇此物，回想前塵往事，總會想到當年祖母和父親在不同時空裡遇上它時，不知他們有何感受？滋味百般，我想箱內所戴之物是謂情，如朗月清輝，月缺月常圓。

感謝祖母(無意間) 與爸爸(有意間) 留給我這一份禮物！

願所藏之物可前承芳古，後拓來人。

I love to collect things since I was small, especially old things. The higher the historical value, the more I love.

I got an item three months ago by chance. It was a wooden garment box, which was brought to my grandfather’s home when my grandmother married him. There is a history behind the box. Shortly after my father passed away last August, I went to clean up his place in Baoan, China, and found the box in the garbage room. The box was made of thin wood planks, greased (my mother said it was painted, but it was greased). There is a loop handle in front of the box as the lock. At the back, there are two hinges. It has handles on two sides. The loop, hinges and the handles are real copper. When my parents travelled in Dongguan, their hometown, they came across this box in the family house. They knew that I loved old things, so they wanted to bring the box back to Hong Kong. But they first kept it in their old home in Baoan, and it has been there more than a decade.

Having been left behind for many years, the box became quite dilapidated. The hinges were broken, the cover was detached from the box, the wooden piece at the bottom was in decay and covered with mildew(Fig.3). When I opened the box, I was surprised that there was another box inside. It was a rattan suitcase with iron hinges. It belonged to my grandfather. When the box was found, the rattan suitcase was already inside it.

I found there are words engraved on the box. On the right side inside the box ,there is a Chinese word “月” (meaning “the Moon”). My grandmother’s Chinese name is “羅月順”, so I reckon the box was once owned by my grandmother.

In order to search for more information about the box, I interviewed my grandparents, my mother and my relatives. My grandmother doesn’t have a good memory about that. But from the pieces of information I gathered from all of them, I am able to trace the story of the box, which I believe is an archaeological journey with traceable tracks. The box proved to be a product from our hometown, once owned by my grandmother. The “Moon” engraved on the box further indicates the relationship between itself and the owner. I intend to keep the box as it is, so I do not want to get it repaired, though it is scratched and broken. Instead, I put it into a glass container which perfectly fits the box. (I am not an expert in preservation, so I can’t guarantee this is the best way.) The advantage of this is to provide a better storage, as well as for display purpose. The box is displayed as an art item in this exhibition.

To me, this item stands out from others, by the love it carries. Yes, it is a symbol of love. And the owners of which (or the ones who once owned it) are my beloved family members. My sentiment over this box does not come from its craftsmanship, its material and its uniqueness, but a relation, an inheritance of love through itself.

Moonlight in the old days of my living memory. I am blessed to have this box. Looking back, I can’t help thinking about the days my grandmother owned it, and the time when I father came across it. I am really curious to know what feelings they had over the box. I have a complicated blend of feelings over it, but the love carried by the box is always as immortal and changeable as the moon.

Thank you grandmother and father for (unintentionally and intentionally) bringing the box to me! I wish the love carried by the box will be passed on to more generations, in the way that it has been cherished by its possessors.