Page 60 - Sothebys Fine Chinese Art London, November 2018

23

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN It is rare to find sceptres of these proportions; related smaller
A RARE AND LARGE WHITE JADE naturalistically carved examples include two sold in our Hong
Kong rooms, the first carved from white jade, decorated with
‘BATS’ RUYI SCEPTRE two smaller lingzhi and a bat on the lingzhi-form terminal and
QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH additional lingzhi fungus and leaves on the shaft, attributed to
the Qianlong period, sold 19th May 1982, lot 388, and the other
CENTURY carved from celadon and russet jade, rendered with a stylised
dragon on the head and two chi -dragons on the elongated
the large naturalistically carved ruyi-shaped head detailed with handle, 17th May 1977, lot 312; a yellow jade version carved
a bat perched on top with wings outstretched, the curved and with entwined branches of lingzhi fungus on the curved shaft,
elongated arched shaft intricately carved with three smaller sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 2nd October 1991, lot 1459;
bats near the head, with further stylised ruyi scrolls along the and a celadon jade example, carved with a cluster of lingzhi
shaft leading to fruiting nandina berries and foliage at the lower fungus on the shaft, attributed to the 19th century, in the Avery
end, with a fifth bat at the terminal resting on a pair of peaches Brundage collection and now in the Asian Art Museum of San
above the reticulated lower edge, the smoothly polished stone Francisco, San Francisco, illustrated in René-Yvon Lefebvre
of an even white tone d’Argencé, Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection,
49 cm, 19¼ in. Tokyo, 1977, pl. LXXIX.

PROVENANCE While the ruyi (meaning ‘as you wish’) sceptre is already a
highly auspicious object favoured for its form, the carefully
Purchased from Stanley Charles Nott, London, between 1947-
1948. chosen motifs on the present piece further emphasise its
propitiousness. The bats, together with peaches and lingzhi
£ 100,000-150,000 fungus collectively form the rebus ‘May your heart be filled
HK$ 1,020,000-1,520,000 US$ 130,000-194,000 with intelligence when blessings arrive’ (fuzhi xinling).
清十八/十九世紀 白玉五福捧壽如意
來源
1947年至1948年購自史坦萊諾·查理斯·樂提， 倫敦

This elaborately carved sceptre is impressive and rare for
its large size and complex design. Its complex composition
of a naturalistically carved lingzhi head, with further lingzhi
emerging from the shaft above nandina berries and orchid
leaves, exemplifies the craftsman’s high level of artistic
and technical skill in harmoniously weaving all the elements
together. Such skill is further emphasised in the combination
of high relief carving and openwork together with finely carved
details, evident in the modelling of the plants where different
textures have been captured. Furthermore, the natural
inclusions of the boulder have been cleverly incorporated
within the decoration to enhance the aesthetic of the piece.
Large jade boulders only became available in increased
quantities after the Western campaigns of 1759, when the
Manchu court gained control over areas of Khotan and
Yarkand, in present day Xinjiang. A steady supply of high-
quality jade from this jade-rich region was subsequently
presented to the Qing court in spring and autumn of every
year. The finest specimens were then transformed to
aesthetically pleasing objects by artisans working in the
Zaobanchu (Palace Workshops), as well as in the jade
workshops in Suzhou and Yangzhou.

58 SOTHEBY’S