Page 32 - Christie's Chinese jade from a European Collection may 28 2021 HK

2719
AN INLAID GREENISH-
WHITE JADE VASE AND
COVER

QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
The group is carved in the form of a vase emerging
from rocks, with a pair of scroll-form handles to
the neck. It is delicately-inlaid to the sides with
spinach-green jade and tourmaline to depict
flowering prunus branches and wannianqing
with berries. The cover is carved with a band of
archaistic scroll, inset with tourmaline to the finial.
The stone is of an even pale tone.
10ƒ in. (26.5 cm.) high

HK$800,000-1,200,000
US$110,000-160,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired in London in the 1960s & 70s
Apart from Mughal-style jade vessels inlaid with
material such as gold, glass or precious stones, it is
very rare to find a Chinese jade vessel inset with other
forms of material. However, several examples of jade
ruyi sceptres inlaid with other hardstones are known.
An imperial white jade ruyi sceptre embellished with
various hardstones including pink tourmaline, coral,
lapis lazuli, malachite and turquoise is in the National
Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Masterworks
of Chinese Jade in the National Palace Museum -
Supplement, Taipei, 1973, no. 28. Another sceptre
which appears to be the pair to the Taipei example
was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot
3640. Another large sceptre decorated with inlays in
the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in
the 1995 exhibition, Auspicious Ju-I Sceptres of China,
illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 22. A pair of smaller
ruyi sceptres inlaid with a design of quails and millet is
in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Jadeware
(III), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace
Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 30.
On the front of the current vessel, the different shades
of pink reflected in the tourmaline simulate the delicate
petals of prunus flowers. As prunus blossoms in
winter, the flower symbolises perseverance and purity,
heralding the arrival of Spring. On the other side of
the vase, the evergreen plant Rhodea Japonica, known
as wannianqing in Chinese, is depicted with spinach
green jade mimicking its dark green leaves and pink
tourmaline representing its bright red berries. The name
wannianqing literally means ‘green for ten thousand
years’, and is emblematic of eternal prosperity and
longevity.

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㤎Ⅾἕด⌅ἕ⌅’ᙴ⩈⭧ໞ㤎♄⯰⁅

ϝᬝ
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(reverse ⫫㬷)
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