Page 114 - Sotheby's Important Jades, Amber & Hardstones Oct. 3, 2018

3357

A SUPERBLY CARVED AMBER ‘PRUNUS’ 清十八世紀 琥珀雕梅花洗
WASHER
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
carved in the form of an open prunus bloom with radiating
veined petals and furled edges, the exterior exuberantly carved
in openwork with intertwining stems issuing further flowering
and budding prunus on the side and the base, the translucent
material of a rich orange-brown tone, wood stand
11.4 cm, 4½ in.

HK$ 300,000-500,000
US$ 38,300-64,000

The craftsman of this piece has displayed the masterful range
of his skills in creating a vessel that is elegantly shaped in the
form of a prunus tree, combining high-relief openwork with
lightly incised lines to create pleasing contrasts and thus
accentuating the rich hues of the raw material. The auspicious
prunus has been deliberately chosen, being one of the most
admired flowers in China due to its winter-resistant beauty and
its symbolic meaning of sustaining a righteousness even in
harsh conditions.
Compare two washers of this type sold at Christie’s Hong
Kong, one of translucent honey-brown tone, carved in the
form of a lotus flower with a chilong and lotus on the side, 3rd
November 1996, lot 516, and the other, of a warm reddish-
orange colour, its flower-form and gnarling branches bearing
magnolia blossoms, sold 28th November 2012, lot 2393.

112 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比