Page 34 - Sothebys Fine Chinese Art London, November 2018

Fig. 3 Fig. 4
Jade washer with flower-shaped handles Jade washer with four handles
© Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing © Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
圖三 圖四
碧玉雙魚紋花耳活環洗 ， 北京故宮博物院 碧玉三多紋四耳活環洗，北京故宮博物院

Raw spinach-green jade mostly originated in the White Jade washer with two rings received from Suzhou was recorded
(Yurungkash) River and the Black Jade (Karakash) River. on the 26 day of the second month of the 57 year of the
th
th
According to the recollections of the officials who purchased Qianlong reign (1792) ; a heibai (‘black and white’) jade
4
jade for the government from the 1950s onwards, both rivers washer with two rings received from Suzhou was recorded
5
th
th
produced spinach-green jade, but raw jade from the White Jade on the 26 day of the first month of the 58 year (1793) ;
River was superior because of its rich colour and “fattiness”. Jade and a spinach-green washer with six rings sent as a tribute
from the Black Jade River tends to be larger, darker and closer to by the Governor of Guangxi was recorded on the 25 day of
th
th
6
black in colour, and is still sufficiently “fatty”. Based on my current the seventh month of the 59 year (1794) . Furthermore, an
understanding, I believe that the present washer was carved from entry dated to the 18 year of the Daoguang reign (1838) in
th
raw jade harvested from Black Jade River. Qinggong chenshe dang records a Khotan-green washer with six
rings displayed in Chengsudian (Hall of Sincere Solemnity)
The washer has an elegant and regular form, and its surface is
(fig. 5) .
7
polished to a fine gloss. The beast-head handles and especially the
six freely moving rings were difficult to carve from a single piece of Court records suggest that jade washers with two rings were by far
jade. Jade carving is a subtractive process that does not allow for any the most common. Entries dated to the middle and later Qianlong
error. At a time before modern electric tools, jade was cut primarily period record the creations of such works almost every month and
by hand on a standalone iron mill. The creation of a monumental at different locations. Because of the difficulty to make them and
work of such perfection required the careful execution of a dozen the amounts of resources they required, jade washers with four
procedures, including the examination and selection of raw jade, rings were less common, and those with six rings were even rarer.
drafting of the design, rough carving, hole-boring, articulation of Moreover, Khotan-green jade washers with six rings were more
the rings, fine carving, detailing, and polishing. In this case, the common than spinach-green ones, due to the preponderance of
monumental size of this washer even required that it be suspended raw Khotan-green jade over raw spinach-green jade. Spinach-
on a crane during some of these procedures, making it much more green jade washers with six rings are thus extremely rare.
labour-intensive than smaller works.
The present jade washer has an archaistic form. The Qianlong
The Qianlong reign was the Golden Age of Qing dynasty jade. Emperor admired and was deeply influenced by classical
According to palace documents of the period, jade washers with Han Chinese culture, and was very fond of antiques. Many
freely-moving rings, whether created at the palace workshop court paintings picture him wearing Han-style clothing and
(Zaobanchu), at the Suzhou Manufactory, or under the Lianghuai surrounded by antiques, among them ancient bronzes and
Salt Administration, typically came with two, four, or six rings jades imitating them (fig. 6). The Qianlong court also collected
(fig 3 and 4). For example, a qingbai (‘greenish white’) jade many bronzes it had inherited from the Ming. Driven by

32 SOTHEBY’S