Page 199 - March 22 2022 Bonhams

PROPERTY FROM A MIDWESTERN COLLECTION
243
AN ARCHAISTIC JADE BRACELET Archaic jades were one of the most notable categories in the Qing
Style of Warring States Period Court collection. The publication of Wu Dacheng’s Gu yu tu kao in
The cylinder band carved with shallow relief of stylized ‘cloud and 1889 was a good indication that outside of the imperial palace jade
comma’ scrolls to form five masks evenly spaced on the exterior, the collecting was very popular by the late 19th century.
stone mottled russet-brown, green and yellow.
3 1/8in (7.8cm) wide Many archaistic jades were made during this period under the
influence of antiquarianism and collecting trends. Lot 242 and Lot
$1,500 - 2,500 243 in this sale represent two different approaches to paying homage
to ancient prototypes. In Lot 243, the jade bracelet in the style of
Warring States, the artisan re-arranged the ‘cloud and comma’
仿古玉環 elements to create an artifact with gu yi, the ‘flavor’ of antiquity.
For lot 242, the thinly carved jade ‘tiger’ plaque’s form and décor is
Antiquarianism was prominent in Qing dynasty China largely due based on line drawings from printed books such as the Gu yu tu kao,
to imperial patronage. Artisans of the Qing reinterpreted the finest but with little regards to Western Zhou jade carving techniques. In
Ming dynasty porcelains and jade carvings, while the Qing scholars either case, the artisans were rendering the aesthetic of archaic jades
debated various schools of Confucius thought. Collecting antiquities into a new style that fits their contemporary fashion and taste.
has always been an important pursuit amongst the literati class,
as a way of engaging oneself with the historic past. For the Qing
emperors, especially during the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong
reigns, collecting ancient artifacts was a way of demonstrating the
legitimacy of the Manchu empire and a continuation of China’s glory.

CHINESE WORKS OF ART | 197