Page 43 - Chinese Works of Art and Buddhist sculpture, June 18, 2018 Galerie Zacke

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A KANGXI PERIOD CELADON AND Provenance: Old Austrian Private collection,
RUSSET JADE RUYI SCEPTER assembled in the 1930s to early 1950s
Celadon jade of even color with russet
inclusions, excellent surface polish Literature comparison: Christie’s, Important
China, Kangxi period (1662 – 1722) Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong
Kong, 29 November 2017, lot 2926 (for a
Finely finished to a smooth and highly very similar sceptre of slightly larger size).
tactile polish, this piece is notable for the
attractive combination of sophisticated high ⹟䅁⸜攻曺䘥䌱晽⤪シ
relief and open work carving. The scepter 曺䘥䌱炻堐朊⃱㹹
is naturalistically carved as a large branch of ᷕ⚳炻⹟䅁⸜攻 (1662 – 1722)
lingzhi, with the largest cap forming the head
of the scepter, surmounted by a small forked 䳘兑䱦䶣䘬堐朊⃱㹹炻檀⹎㉳⃱炻忁ẞἄ
lingzhi branch. A small bat can be found on ⑩ẍ㤝℞䷩墯䘬㴖晽␴攳㓦⺷晽⇣侴ㆸˤ
the scepter head as well. The knotted shaft is ⤪シ㪲㛾塓冒䃞⛘晽⇣ㆸ曰剅䘬ᶨ⣏↮㓗炻
encircled by further smaller openwork lingzhi 㚨⣏䘬曰剅柕⼊ㆸḮ㪲㛾䘬柕悐炻嶐崲Ḯ
branches. ᶨᾳ⮷⍱⼊䘬曰剅↮㓗ˤ⛐㛾柕ᶲ⎗ẍ㈦⇘
ᶨ晣⮷圁圈ˤㇻ䳸䘬庠塓㚜⮷䘬德晽曰剅↮
Ruyi scepters, by definition, are propitious 㓗⊭⚵ˤ
objects favored for their shape, which
represents the expression ‘as you wish’ and 栏⎵⿅佑炻⤪シẋ堐叿Ⱦ⤪Ἀ㇨栀ȿ炻冯冯
for their similarity to lingzhi, the immortality 曰剅忁䧖ᶵ㛥却栆㚱䚠Ụᷳ嗽ˤ
fungus.
䌱☐⛐⋩ℓᶾ䲨ᷳ⇵⼰⮹↢䎦炻⚈䁢⣏⟲䌱
Jade scepters were rarely made prior to 䞛䘬䦨仢⿏炻1760⸜⸛⭂㕘䔮ᷳ⼴ㇵ攳⥳⣏
the 18th century given the scarcity of large ㈡慷䓇䓊炻㬌㫉䴙ᶨ䡢ᾅḮ⮵䎦Ṳ㕘䔮䘬㜙
boulders and only became available in larger 䨩⍍㕗✎䵕⏦䇦⛘⋨䘬㍏⇞ˤ忁ṃ⛘⋨䘬侉
quantities after the Western campaigns of 侈ⶐ䞛塓ⷞ⇘Ḯ⭖⺟炻⛐恋墉㚨⤥䘬䞛㕁塓
1760, which secured control over the area of ⽉䓐ⶍ⋈Ᾱẍ⍲喯ⶆ䘬䌱☐ⶍ⛲ㆾ侭㶖㱛␴
Uyghur region of Eastern Turkistan, in present 攟䤧䔞⯨䘬ⶍἄṢ⒉晽⇣侴ㆸˤ
day Xinjiang. Jade boulders from these areas
were brought to the court, where the best ⼊䉨烉晐⼊侴晽
specimens were selected to be carved by ⯢⮠烉 35x7,5x3,5 cm (檀x攟x ⮔)
artisans working in the palace workshop, ⑩䚠烉⮵庠ᶲ悐㚱ᶨ嗽ᾖ⽑炻⊭㻧㤝⤥
in the jade workshops of Suzhou or in ⤏⛘⇑䥩Ṣ侩㓞啷炻ᶲᶾ䲨ᶱ⋩⸜ẋ军Ḽ⋩
those belonging to the Huai and Changlu ⸜ẋ⇅岤ℍ
administrations. 㔯䌣⍫侫烉Ἓ⢓⼿˪慵天ᷕ⚳䒟☐冯ⶍ喅
⑩˫炻楁㷗炻2017⸜11㚰29㖍炻2926嘇㉵
Shape: Figural shape ⑩ (朆ⷠ䚠Ụ䘬ᶨẞ⤪シ炻⯢⮠䦵⣏)ˤ
Dimensions: 35 cm (height), 7,5 cm (length),
3,5 cm (width) Estimate EUR 7.000,-
Condition: One repair to upper part of shaft; Starting price EUR 3.500,-
excellent hand patina

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