Page 30 - Sotheby's Important Jades, Amber & Hardstones Oct. 3, 2018

Perfectly proportioned and finished to a lustrous sheen, this 此對黃玉盌柔光亮澤，比例合宜，集良材精工於一身，
pair of bowls exemplifies the cultural and economic wealth 可窺乾隆朝國富民安，文藝興旺之盛景。乾隆二十四年
of the 18th century under the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
（1759年），準噶爾叛亂復平，自此新疆採玉數量之多遠
With the quelling of the Xinjiang rebellions in the 24th year of
his reign (1759), raw jade from Xinjiang could be excavated 超前朝，並每年春秋二季入貢朝廷。其時玉器生產質量空
in previously unattainable quantities and was shipped to the 前，堪稱為乾隆帝開拓疆土、軍功煌煌的象徵。
imperial palace every spring and autumn. As a result, not only
此對玉盌豐碩穩重，素淨無紋，更顯黃玉溫潤通透。滿清
did jade production reach its zenith but it also became the
epitome of the Qianlong Emperor’s military achievement of 皇朝崇尚黃色，黃玉甚得皇族垂青。黃玉乃極為珍貴的軟
expanding the borders. 玉品種，自明朝起，一直深受文人學者與玉器藏家重視。
The present bowls are exceptional for their large size and 明代戲曲家高濂在雜記《燕閒清賞箋》謂：「玉以甘黃為
brilliant translucent yellow colouration, which is highlighted 上，羊脂次之」。由於黃玉罕有，匠人為求充分運用玉
through the lack of any embellishment, which was much
料，時連同玉皮琢作，亦可見惜材之心。
favoured by the Qing Court for its association with the
imperial colour of yellow. Since the Ming dynasty yellow 黃玉盌甚為罕見，每件按原石量材而製，故造型和圈足有
jade was recognised by scholars and connoisseurs as one
微異。北京故宮博物院收藏一例，器形較形修長，圈足較
of the most valued variations of nephrite. In his miscellany
高，錄於《故宮博物院文物藏品大系．玉器編》，卷10：
Yanxian Qingshang [Refined enjoyment of elegant leisure], the
dramatist Gao Lian (fl. 1573-1581) noted, “Of all jade materials, 清，北京，2011年，圖版169。另一例略大於本品，器形
yellow stones with a mellow tone are the best and mutton- 相近，圈足較高，刻乾隆年款，售於紐約蘇富比1998年3
white ones come second”. Because of its rarity, the brownish
月23日，編號349，收入水松石山房舊藏，再售於香港蘇
skin was often worked into the piece, as seen on the present
pair, to increase its overall size and show the carver’s respect 富比2009年10月8日，編號1807。可比較一對蓋盌，尺寸
for the rare and valuable material. 較小，斷代嘉慶，趙從衍舊藏，售於香港蘇富比，1986年
11月18日，編號164。
Bowls fashioned from yellow jade are rare, and each appears
to have been individually fashioned according to the natural
目前存世黃玉盌有數例，年代較早。清宮舊藏一件笠式玉
boulder, with subtle differences in the proportions or foot; a
盞，斷為宋代，現仍存北京，刊於《故宮博物院藏品大
smaller example of narrower proportions and a taller foot, in
the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in Gugong bowuyuan 系．玉器編》，卷5：唐宋遼金元，北京，2011年，圖版
wenwu cangpin daxi. Yuqi juan/Compendium of Collections 70。另一圓唇玉盌，乃 J.C. Thomson 舊藏，現存維多
in the Palace Museum: Jade, vol. 10: Qing, Beijing, 2011, pl.
利亞與艾爾伯特博物館，倫敦，曾展於東方陶瓷學會展
169; a marginally larger bowl of similar form to the present
but with a taller foot, incised with a Qianlong reign mark and 覽《Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages》，維多利亞
of the period, was sold in our New York rooms, 23rd March 與艾爾伯特博物館，倫敦，1975年，編號274。巴斯東亞
1998, lot 349, and again in these rooms, 8th October 2009, lot 藝術博物館藏二件玉盌，載錄於 Angus Forsyth 及 Brian
1807, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat collection; and McElney，《Jades from China》，巴斯，1994年，圖版
a smaller pair of bowls and covers, attributed to the Jiaqing
period, from the collection of T.Y. Chao, was sold in these 249、251。比較安徽休寧南宋朱睎顏夫婦墓出土撇口玉
rooms, 18th November 1986, lot 164. 盌，刊於《中國出土玉器全集》，北京，2005年，卷6，
圖版174。
A small number of earlier yellow jade bowls is known; see
one of conical form, attributed to the Song dynasty, from
the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in the
Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 5,
Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pl. 70;
another with a lipped rim, from the collection of J.C. Thomson
and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, included
in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade
Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London,
1975, cat. no. 274; and two further bowls, in the Museum of
East Asian Art, Bath, illustrated in Angus Forsyth and Brian
McElney, Jades from China, Bath, 1994, pls. 249 and 251.
Compare also a bowl with flared sides, unearthed from the
Southern Song tomb of Zhu Xiyan and his wife at Chengguan,
Xiuning, Anhui province, and illustrated in The Complete
Collection of Unearthed Jades in China, Beijing, 2005, vol. 6,
pl. 174.

28 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比