Page 19 - 2020 Nov 30 Christies Hong Kong Springfield Museum Imperial Art

ᑔᓢ⬼ښḵ㩉Ὂⳉ䢲ሠ㇫ᏻ↠ഩᑞⳉި㈂ⳉۢ⛃ㄼ

2904

A WHITE JADE ‘CHILONG AND BAT’
RUYI

QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

The head of the sceptre is carved in low relief with
branches bearing chrysanthemum blossoms emerging
from rocks, below three bats carved in openwork.
The shaft is carved in high relief with a chilong with
a bifurcated tail pursuing a flaming pearl. The two
terminals of the shaft are further carved with two bats.
The stone is of an even pale greenish-white tone with
some opaque inclusions at the bottom of the shaft.
16 13/16 in. (42.7 cm.) long
HK$1,500,000-2,500,000
US$200,000-320,000

PROVENANCE:
George Walter Vincent Smith (1832-1923), Springfield,
Massachusetts, acquired prior to 1910
Jade sceptres of such even white colour and large size are rare
due to the sheer size of the boulder required to carve it. The
ruyi, a longstanding auspicious symbol in Chinese art, gained
popularity in the Qing dynasty when it was often used as a gift
to the Emperor on his birthday. The current ruyi, carved with five
bats on the shaft and head, forms the auspicious rebus wufu
linmen, ‘May the five blessings descend upon this home’.

᪺̗㡳 Ⅾἕ⹂㹪㉆὜̪⎽⦩㟔⬙⩈♄ବ჎

Ϝᬜ
܂ࡘᦆԱ⁥䢮 䢯䢲ᑔᓢᗆ⬼ḓ࿍䢲㷄Ⲭバਫ਼๷䢲
Նⳉᑞ ໝ͠ע

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