Page 31 - March 17, 2020 Imperial Jade and Cloisonne, Sotheby's, New York

Whilst the earliest extant jade brushpots are known from 相類玉雕筆筒於明代已見，然產量不多， Under the Qianlong Emperor’s auspices, the jade brushpot 因得乾隆帝青睞，玉雕筆筒成為承載書畫
the Ming dynasty, it was only from the mid-Qianlong period 直至乾隆中期以後和闐大批良玉進貢朝 became an important medium for pictorial subjects. Its 題材的重要材質。如竹木筆筒一般，其圓
on, as the supply of raw jade from Khotan to the court 廷，成品數量才隨之增長。玉製筆筒如本 cylindrical form yielded a suitably large, continuous, and 筒器型為作畫提供了規整且連續的界面。
became ample and reliable, that they were produced in 品尺寸碩大者，所需玉材不僅體積可觀， regular pictorial surface, as could be seen already on 玉匠巧用高低浮雕、鏤空等技藝，令成品
increased in quantity. Jade brushpots, particularly those 亦不可多疵多瑕。故此，玉雕筆筒比竹 many bamboo and wood brushpots. Through the various 構圖豐富、主題多变，既如卷軸一氣呵
of this size, required raw jade that was not only relatively 製、瓷製筆筒更為罕見珍貴，多僅為宮廷 techniques of high- and low-relief carving, openwork, 成，亦具雕塑之立體觀感，飽含文人美學
large but also free from too many blemishes, chips, and 或貴族所有。北京故宮博物院收藏約200 incision, and drilling, craftsmen realized an increasing 之風韻。
other imperfections. Consequently, jade brushpots were 件清中期或以後的玉雕筆筒，其中大多數 quantity of compositions with figures in landscapes on jade
此類畫意筆筒，或描繪歷史典故，或加入
rarer and more valuable than those made from bamboo, 製於乾隆中期之後，囊括清宮造辦處御製 brushpots. Possessing not only the continuity of a scroll
巧思創意，力求捕捉中國山水畫之神髓。
wood or porcelain, and tended to be concentrated in the 之器，亦含蘇州織造、兩淮鹽政等地方上 painting but also the volumetric illusion of sculpture, these
相類如意足山水人物筆筒多見於重要博物
collections of the imperial family and other nobility. The 貢之品。 brushpots embody the aesthetic sensibilities of the the
館及私人收藏，可比較三白玉例，以山水
Palace Museum Collection contains approximately 200 literati.
自古文人多嚮往自然卻常被世俗所困，繼 圖景突出原材無瑕美態：其一曾屬Heber
jade brush pots dating to the mid-Qing and later, and most Many of these ‘pictorial’ brushpots faithfully illustrate
而致力於將天地納入書閣之內。如本品捕 R. Bishop收藏，現存於紐約大都會藝術博
of these postdate the mid-Qianlong period. These were historical events or stories as memorialized in classical
捉自然山水意境者，多見於清代文士珍 物館，館藏編號02.18.623；其二出自Ernest
created by the Zaobanchu (Palace Workshop), the Suzhou paintings, whilst others interpret their source material
玩，而乾隆年間文房用品則獨好擷取書畫 Vio及Alan與Simone Hartman收藏，曾售於
Manufactory, and under the supervision of the Lianghuai Salt innovately, aiming to capture the spirit of China’s rich
寫意，將玉面兼作畫紙。乾隆中晚期，曾 香港佳士得2007年11月27日，編號1518；
Administration, or sent as tributes by local officials. tradition of landscape painting. A number of brushpots
命藝匠取材古畫雕玉，御令成品須達歷代 例三出自T.B. Kitson收藏，兩度售於倫敦
The natural world had a keen grip on the imaginations similarly supported on ruyi feet and carved with ethereal
名家畫意。故始於此，諸多常見傳統書畫 蘇富比，先後為1960年10月18日，編號152
of the literati who, unable to live in the arcadian natural landscapes inhabited by figures are known from important
題材被借鑒亦或直接臨摹於玉雕之上。 及1994年12月6日，編號71。
environments they wrote of, could only seek to bring the museums and private collections; for example compare
乾隆心意，觀其御製詩（寫於1787年）可
outside world into their studios. Such miniaturization of three large white jade brushpots similarly carved with 另可參考其他玉雕筆筒例，一件現藏於北
知：「畫圖歲久或湮滅，重器千秋難敗
nature, such as the immense landscape diorama enveloping large expanses of rock highlighting the flawless beauty of 京故宮博物院，載於《故宮博物院藏文物
毀」。
the present brushpot, is commonly found in the scholarly the material: the first formerly in the collection of Heber 珍品全集．玉器（下）》，香港， 1995
arts of the Qing period. Furthermore, many of the scholar’s R. Bishop, and now in the collection of the Metropolitan 年，圖版167；另一例出自Ernest James
objects fashioned during the Qianlong period have a certain Museum of Art, New York, accession no. 02.18.623; the Wythes收藏，售於倫敦蘇富比2012年5月
pictorial quality, where the surface of the jade was treated as second from the Dr. Ernest Vio and Alan and Simone 12日，編號29；再比一例，出自Bishop收
a ‘canvas’ for a painting. During the middle and later parts of Hartman collections sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th 藏，售於紐約蘇富比2009年9月16日，編
the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, he vigorously promoted the November 2007, lot 1518; the third from the T.B. Kitson 號251；此外尚可比較一相類碧玉例，據
use of painterly subject matter in jade carving and insisted Collection, twice sold in our London rooms, 18th October 傳原為福格藝術博物館舊藏，售於紐約蘇
that carved jade should carry the spirit of the works of 1960, lot 152, and again 6th December 1994, lot 71. 富比2008年3月18日，編號16；另一見尺寸
famous painters. Consequently, many themes common in Other related jade brushpots include one in the Palace 較小例，斷代1795年，曾售於香港蘇富比
classical Chinese painting and calligraphy began to appear Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection 2004年10月31日，編號229。芝加哥藝術博
in jade carvings, which either were inspired by pictorial of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong 物館亦藏一白玉筆筒例，年代略晚，售於
prototypes or directly reproduced works of painting and Kong, 1995, pl. 167; one from the collection of Ernest James 紐約蘇富比2019年3月20日，編號574。
calligraphy in the same way as stone stelae. The motivation Wythes, sold in our London rooms, 12th May 2012, lot 29;
behind such instruction lies in the commemorate poem the another from the Bishop Collection, sold in these rooms, 16th
Emperor wrote for the famous Jade Mountain with Great Yu September 2009, lot 251; a spinach-green jade brushpot of
Controlling the Waters, completed in 1787, which is inscribed: this type, reputedly from the Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge,
“a painted picture may disappear as time passes, but a sold in the same rooms, 18th March 2008, lot 16; and a
solid [i.e. jade] work can hardly be destroyed even after a slightly smaller example, dated to 1795, sold in our Hong
thousand years.” Kong rooms, 31st October 2004, lot 229. Compare also a

slightly later white jade brushpot from the Art Institute of
Chicago, also sold in these rooms, 20th March 2019, lot 574.

58 PROPERTY FROM THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM, SOLD TO SUPPORT MUSEUM COLLECTIONS 59