Page 235 - Bonhams Chinese Art London May 2013

199 The inscription hai, tian and xu ri (海,天,旭日) literally means the
A rare pale green and russet jade inscribed ‘carp’ snuff sea, the sky and the rising sun. This phrase refers to one of the
bottle “Shanghai Eight Scenes” during the Ming and Qing dynasties,
18th century describing a magnificent scene where there was no horizon
The flattened globular bottle crisply and meticulously carved in between the sky and the sea at sunrise from a distant view,
low relief with a large fish leaping from foaming waves under a also insinuating the positive energy emitting from the scene.
dazzling sun, surrounded by traces of ruyi-shaped clouds, with
a four-character inscription hai tian xu ri followed by two seals The leaping fish is an auspicious motif referring to li yue long
wen and wan, the reverse plain. men (鯉躍龍門), which means ‘carp leaping over the Dragon
5.2cm (2in) high Gate’. There is a legend that only the strongest carp is able
£10,000 - 15,000 to overcome the turbulent water to reach the Dragon Gate.
HK$120,000 - 180,000 CNY94,000 - 140,000 This motif thus represents overcoming difficulties to achieve
success, and would have been a suitable present wishing the
十八世紀 青玉帶皮雕鯉躍龍門鼻煙壺 「海天旭日」款及「文、 receipient success and distinction in the imperial examinations.
玩」印
The present lot with its superb carving skills shows the
Provenance: A European private collection and thence by achievement of great liveliness of the scene and conveys the
descent fine jade workmanship in the 18th century.

來源：歐洲私人收藏，並由家族繼承下去

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