Page 70 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Chinese Art
P. 70
AN APPRECIATION OF THE QIANLONG EMPEROR’S WHITE
JADE RAM-HEAD TEAPOT
XU LIN
By the Qing dynasty, classical Chinese jade art articulated as a multilayered pagoda consisting Rogers, by contrast, followed only her own
had developed to a high degree of sophistication, of multiple melon forms. Most impressively, interests and sense of beauty. She is said to have
whether in regards to mining, material selection, the interiors of the body and the lid are both been especially fond of the colour white, and Qing
or carving. It reached an unprecedented peak articulated in recessed lobes, echoing the lobes dynasty white jades and ceramics predominated
during the reign of the jade-obsessed Qianlong on the outside, and the lid and pot are seamlessly in her collection. One of her beloved white jades,
Emperor. This period produced an abundance matched. the current lot, was sold in 1996 in the spring
of jade masterpieces, especially those intended auction of Christie’s Hong Kong and has been
for use in the imperial court, that remain The carving of the spout is very fine, with the in the possession of the same collector since
unsurpassed even today. The majority of these ram head’s horns, ears, eyes, beard and teeth, then. In that auction also appeared two Chinese
works are vessels, such as incense burners, and even the recesses beside its nose vividly and imperial jades that belonged to Rogers: a lidded
vases, boxes, ewers, bowls, washers and finely articulated. The incised lines and patterns incense burner with four butterfly handles
parfumiers, which served practical purposes are orderly, and the polishing of the details and ruyi patterns, and a lidded goose-shaped
but more importantly decorated interior spaces. subtly and appropriately executed. The handle is box, both made from high-quality Khotan
Among these vessels, jade ewers were among adorned with gilt-bronze and cloisonné-enamelled white jade. The incense burner’s grandeur and
the demanding in craft and in quality of the raw ruyi-shaped joints and three fish. solemnity, the ewer’s unique elegance, and the
jade, and Qing examples are thus rare. The Palace goose-shaped box’s vividness all demonstrated
Museum collection in Beijing contains no more Overall, this jade ewer is finely crafted from Rogers’ preference for beautiful and refined
than fifty Qing dynasty jade ewers with handles excellent materials and expertly polished. It is craftsmanship, which naturally drew her to the
and spouts. The vast majority of these date from doubtlessly a fine example of Qianlong period sophisticated imperial jades of the Qianlong
the Qianlong period. imperial jades. court.
Qianlong period jade ewers come in a rich variety This piece belonged to Millicent Rogers (1902- The creator of this ewer designed it with the
of types, including arrow vases and handled 1953), whose grandfather, Henry H. Rogers, intention of incorporating the gilt-bronze handle,
ewers which imitate archaic bronze prototypes, co-founded Standard Oil with John D. Rockefeller and therefore left protruding lugs along the
and vases with tall handles which resemble and was a patron of Mark Twain. Millicent Rogers mouth for the pins that fasten the handle. This
ceramic vessel types. Vessels with a spout and herself was a legendary socialite known for her ingenious design likely won the favour of the
handle, resembling a teapot, are characterised intelligence and beauty. She was fluent in six Qing emperors, who ordered at least two other
by the greatest formal variation and the finest languages and translated Latin and Greek poetry. teapots of a similar form made, including one in
decoration. The subject of this essay, a white jade She also designed her own clothing and jewellery. the Palace Museum in Beijing and another in the
ewer with an enamelled gilt-bronze handle and a She was reputedly close with Madame Soong collection of the Oscar-winning film producer Sir
spout in the shape of a ram’s head (lot 3613), is a Mei-ling. With her privileged upbringing and John Woolf.
uniquely outstanding example of this type. artistic talents, Rogers was a connoisseur and
collector with a highly refined personal taste. Her The white jade melon-shaped teapot with a ram-
The current ewer is made from high-quality collection was very different from those of men of head spout at the Palace Museum in Beijing (fig.
Khotan white jade with a warm and fine texture. the same period. 1), from the Qing court collection, is now a Grade
The circular, melon-shaped body is articulated One cultural property. According to the census
into twelve evenly spaced petal lobes, as are During the first half of the twentieth century, of objects made by the Palace Museum upon its
the cover and foot. The finial of the cover is major American collectors of Chinese art tended founding, this teapot was located in Yanxitang
towards archaic jades with scholarly significance.
68 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比
