Page 227 - 2019 September 13th Christie's New York Important Chinese Works of Art

THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTOR
937
A LARGE WELL-CARVED SPINACH-GREEN JADE
‘DRAGON’ WASHER
18TH-19TH CENTURY
The washer of oval section rises from a fat base to an inverted rim. The
exterior is carved in high relief with fve dragons chasing faming pearls amidst
dense clouds above rocks and crashing waves rising from the whorl-carved
base. The semi-translucent stone is of mottled spinach-green tone with some
black inclusions.
10¡ in. (26.5 cm.) wide
$40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE
Richard Salisbury (1924-1995) Collection and thence by descent
within the family.
The craftmanship of the present washer, carved in high relief with a complex
pattern of dragons, writhing and partially emerging out of dense clouds, is
particularly successful. The interior of the vessel is well-hollowed while the
thick, gently rounded sides are carved in high relief on the exterior with great
depth created by the multiple layers of clouds. It is interesting to note that
the artist utilized the natural shape of the original boulder, which would have
been of considerable size.
See the celadon jade basin, dated to the Ming dynasty, from the Hartman (base)
collection, carved with waves on the fat base, illustrated by R. Kleiner in
Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong,
1996, no. 45. Compare, also, the white jade basin from the collection of Lady
Lever, illustrated by S.C. Nott in Chinese Jade, London, 1937, pl. CI, and the
spinach-green jade basin from the Kangxi period sold at Christie’s Hong
Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1401.
清十八/十九世紀 碧玉五龍戲珠紋洗

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