Page 128 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art June 2015 Hong Kong

The present bowl demonstrates the highly skilled craftsmanship
achieved at the height of the Qing dynasty, during the celebrated
Qianlong reign. This is exemplified in the remarkable carving of
the mythical beast loose ring handles, the evenly spaced Eight
Buddhist Emblems on the exterior, finely balancing the symbolic
embellishment of the exterior yet successfully allowing the fine quality
of the white jade to show at the same time.

It is likely that the present bowl was carved after the Qianlong
emperor’s campaign for the pacification of the Dzungars and Xinjiang
(1755-1759), as this campaign secured control over the area of
Khotan, allowing direct access to greater quantities of larger-sized
high quality jade and therefore for the production of generously
proportioned carvings and vessels such as the present lot compared
to previous periods. For related jade ‘marriage’ bowls from the Qing
Court Collection, see Zhen Xinmiao, Compendium of Collections
in the Palace Museum: Jade, Qing Dynasty, vol.10, Beijing, 2010,
pls.180, 198 and 205. The sheer opulence of the present bowl is
emphasised by the generous proportions of the well-hollowed interior,
and the significant wastage of the prized jade stone in the carving of
the flanking mythical beast loose ring handles, thus creating a spacial
depth of form. The five ruyi-shaped supports also raise the bowl,
allowing a greater appreciation of the well carved lappet border and
finely balanced suspended rings.

This magnificent jade bowl belongs to the group of ‘marriage’ bowls
alternatively carved with butterfly, bat or dragon handles, popular
in the Qing Court. Just as with butterfly-handled bowls, the two
mythical beasts also represent the concept of happiness at union.
This combined with the auspicious Eight Buddhist Emblems: Pair of
Fish, Victory Banner, Wheel of Dharma, Parasol, Lotus, Endless Knot,
Treasure Vase and Conch Shell, would have been a particularly fitting
present on the event of a wedding celebration.

Compare a white jade ‘marriage’ bowl carved with similar mythical
beast-head handles, in the De An Tang collection, included in the
Palace Museum exhibition A Romance with Jade, Beijing, 2004,
Catalogue no.7. See also a related pale green jade ‘marriage’ bowl,
18th century, but carved on the exterior with leafy blossom sprays
and lingzhi and on the interior with lingzhi, sold at our London rooms,
17 May 2012, lot 40.

青白玉質，洗圓身，敞口，底承五如意雲足，器身兩側作獸耳，獸耳
下有活環。器身外壁一周浮雕八吉祥紋，近足出雕蓮瓣一周。器內壁
光素無紋，透露玉質自身瑩潤之光澤。

此洗所用玉質上佳。乾隆二十四年平定新疆地區準格爾部和回部動亂
後，大量上等玉料進入宮廷，促進了宮廷玉器的製作生產。清宮舊藏
中類似的玉雕洗，可見《故宮博物院藏品大系，清代玉器10》，北
京，2010年，圖版180，198及205。工匠刻意不在此洗內壁作裝飾，
以最大空間展示玉質本身，同時其活環獸耳及如意雲足又足顯工匠精
工，為難得的一器。

傳世品中類似之例，見北京故宮博物院展覽圖錄，《玉緣：德安堂藏
玉》，北京，2004年，編號7。另見一件18世紀青玉雕靈芝洗，售於
倫敦邦瀚斯，2012年5月17日，編號40。

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