Page 155 - 2019 OctoberSur Quo Wei Lee Collectim Important Chinese Art Hong Kong

This piece embodies the brilliant creativity of Qing craftsmen 本品展現清朝藝匠超卓造詣，集時風與高古紋飾於一身。此
in its combination of contemporary and archaic motifs. 爐承宋代傳統，以小巧玉器仿古青銅禮器，饕餮五官飾睫，
Continuing the Song tradition of reinterpreting large archaic 鼻作靈芝，更見抽象。
ritual bronzes into relatively small jade vessels, this incense
burner is carved with the archaic taotie motif, which has been 十八世紀，中國玉雕趨市俗化，尚浮雕飾紋繁密之物，因此
further abstracted and rendered with eyelashes and a lingzhi- 之故，乾隆帝命製大量仿古玉器，與新風背道而馳，冀復典
shaped nose.
雅。玉匠潛研宮藏古銅器，或木版摹圖，以玉仿製古器。此
In response to the ‘vulgarisation’ of Chinese jade carving in the 爐仿造古銅鼎之造形與紋飾，乃此風之楷模。
18th century, characterised by decorative objects with ornate
high-relief designs, the Qianlong Emperor commissioned a 玉爐多為獨一無二，尺寸紋飾應玉石而生，本品之大小、造
large number of jades which were inspired by the forms and 形與飾紋，與北京故宮博物院藏白玉爐一例相近，圖載於《
designs of antiquity. Jade carvers were encouraged to move 中國玉器全集》，卷6，石家莊，1993年，圖版355。另見一
away from the ‘new style’ by studying archaic bronze vessels 件玉爐，造形相似，飾繩耳，爐身飾凸弦紋，亦藏於北京故
in the Palace collection or in illustrated woodblock prints, and
宮博物院，出處同上，圖版347。還有一碧玉例，饕餮獸面，
adapting them to the medium of jade. Inspired in both form
出戟為分，蓋飾三羊，售於倫敦蘇富比1982年3月12日，編
and decoration by archaic bronze ding, this incense burner
號22。
epitomises this trend.
While jade incense burners are often unique, their size and
decoration depending entirely on the jade stone used to
make them, the proportion of this piece, its form and motif
are closely related to a white jade incense burner in the
Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi qianji
[Complete collection of Chinese jade], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang,
1993, pl. 355. See also a jade incense burner of similar form
and with strap handles, but decorated with raised bow strings
on the body, also in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated
ibid., pl. 347; and a spinach-green jade example, carved with
taotie divided by raised flanges, and the cover with three
rams, sold in our London rooms, 12th March 1982, lot 22.