Page 134 - Imperial Sale Chinese Works of Art June 1 2016 HK

THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR 清乾隆 碧玉雕饕餮紋獸面啣活環耳大扁壺
《大清乾隆仿古》楷書刻款
3252
來源
A LARGE DARK-GREEN JADE ARCHAISTIC Ashkenazi & Co.，三藩市，購藏於1980年代初
VASE, BIANHU
乾隆朝慕古之風大盛，本壺形制及紋飾正是源於周代青銅
QIANLONG INCISED SIX-CHARACTER FANGGU MARK IN A LINE 壺。《西清古鑑》記載了清宮古銅器典藏，作為本壺藍本的
AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795) 周代青銅壺亦被收錄其中（圖一）。

The vase of flattened form is carved in low relief on the body 另可參見恭親王及哈特曼伉儷舊藏一件大型碧玉壺，同樣刻
with a broad taotie mask on each side, between two registers of 「乾隆仿古」款，2006年11月28日於香港佳士得拍賣，拍品
archaistic motifs. The neck is flanked by a pair of handles in the 1386號。
form of mythical beast-heads with loose rings. The stone is of
an opaque deep green tone with dark-green specks and milky
mottling and streaks.
14 æ in. (37.5 cm.) high, stand

HK$2,500,000-3,500,000 US$330,000-450,000

PROVENANCE

Ashkenazi & Co., San Francisco, acquired in the early 1980s

During the Qianlong period, the Emperor took great interests in
antiquities and a variety of works of art rendered in different media,
such as jade carvings, found their inspiration from treasures that
were already collected within the Forbidden City, such as the bronze
hu dating to the Zhou dynasty illustrated in the woodblock printed
catalogue Xiqing Gujian, ‘Inspection of Antiques’, which was published
under the auspices of the Qianlong Emperor (fig. 1). The present vase
followed the same archaic reference in its shape and motifs, and
further strengthened in its affirmation by the mark inscribed on its
base, Qianlong Fanggu, ‘Imitating the Ancient (by Emperor) Qianlong’.

The present hu is of exceptional size which required a substantially
large rough boulder in order to create such an impressive vase, and its
expense would have been considerable. A smaller Qianlong-marked
jade hu in the Avery Brundage Collection is illustrated in the exhibition
catalogue, Chinese Treasures from the Avery Brundage Collection, The
Asia Society, New York, 1968, no. 64. Compare also a monumental
spinach-green jade vase and cover with a Qianlong fanggu mark with a
cyclical date corresponding to 1787 from the Prince Gong, and the Alan
and Simone Hartman Collections, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28
November 2006, lot 1386.

Compare also to a large white jade vase of slightly smaller size but of
very similar form, also bearing a Qianlong fanggu mark, and carved
with archaistic dragons, formerly in the William Cleverley Alexander
and S. Bulgari Collections, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014,
lot 3370.

fig. 1
（圖一）

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