Page 160 - Sotheby's Sir Quo Wei Lei Collection Oct. 3, 2018

Of an impressive size, the present pair of bowls is worked 對盌器型碩大，玉質純淨溫潤。盌撇口，圈足，掏膛規整，
from flawless white jade of a soft even tone. Both bowls have 打磨圓潤，通體光素無紋飾。乾隆皇帝愛玉成癖，在歷代君
flared rims, robust deep sides and neatly trimmed footrings, 王中無人媲美，更主張「良玉不琢」，保持玉質原來的面
finely finished to a smooth and highly tactile polish. The 貌。
absence of decoration draws attention to and enhances the
quality and translucency of the stone, in accordance with the 乾隆二十四年（1759年），清廷平定準葛爾部及回部動亂，
aesthetics of Qianlong Emperor, whose obsession with jade 新疆地區玉料大量進入宮廷，玉料充足，皇帝對玉器製作樂
was unparalleled. 此不疲，遂成一代琢玉盛世，無一朝代能及。
The steady supply of jade was only secured in the 24th year 據清宮檔案記載：「乾隆十八年四月，太監胡世傑傳旨，著
of the Qianlong reign (1759), when Qing imperial forces
subjugated the Dzungars and pacified the Hui areas. Jade 德日常姚宗仁在銀庫玉石內挑選足做玉碗，桌木各一百件之
boulders from these areas were brought to the court in large 玉呈覽。欽此。」宮廷日常所用玉器數量龐大，然玉製品為
quantities, where the best specimens were selected to be 珍貴用器，專為帝王貴冑所用。據《國朝宮史．卷十七》記
carved by artisans of the Palace Workshop. The creative 載，乾隆年間所定「鋪宮」中規定，宮中日常用品， 僅皇太
boom in imperial jade production of the period, propelled by 后，皇后各可用「玉盞金台」一副，而皇貴妃、貴妃、妃、
the Emperor’s insatiable appetite, was never before seen in 嬪、貴人、在、 答應、王子、福晉等人皆不配用玉器。「筵
the history of China. 宴例用」中，亦僅帝王筵宴用「玉盞金盤二 」 ， 其他均不
The Qing imperial court archives, dated to the 4th month of 用玉器 。
the 18th year of Qianlong’s reign, registers the Emperor’s
commissioning of a hundred pieces of jade bowls and tables 一成對盌例藏於倫敦大英博物館，圖見羅森，《Chinese
respectively, to be carved from the boulders in the imperial Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing》，倫敦，1995年，
treasury. Despite the considerable presence of jade wares 圖版29:13，作者指出，此等玉盌以瓷盌為雛本，光素無紋，
in the imperial court, they were reserved exclusively for the 似為餐飲器皿之至高典範。大清律例限制玉器用途，文學小
Emperor and his limited entourage. As recorded in the Court 說人物以玉盌、玉盃飲食，玉器地位崇高可見一斑（見頁400
History (Guochao gongshi) of the Qianlong period, where the ）。另一可資對比較之例，曾展於《玉緣．德安堂藏玉展》
exact amount of various types of vessels allowed for each ，故宮博物院，北京，2004年，編號116；Cunliffe 勳爵收
court member is specified, only the Empress Dowager and 藏一對例，尺寸略大，售於倫敦邦瀚斯2002年11月11日，編
the Empress were entitled to a set of “jade bowl with a gold
stand”; jade was forbidden from all other consorts of the 號10，後於香港蘇富比易手，2005年5月2日，編號555。另
Emperor. On the occasion of feasts, the use of “jade bowls 一對例出自 Kenneth Dingwall DSO 中校（1869-1946年）
and golden plates”, in sets of two, was also restricted to only 收藏，售於倫敦蘇富比2014年5月14日，編號23。
when the Emperor was present.
A pair of bowls of similar size, in the British Museum, London,
is illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the
Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 29:13, where Rawson
states that such undecorated jade vessels in porcelain
shapes probably represented the highest quality eating and
drinking utensils. Sumptuary laws, which restricted the use
of jade vessels, and passages in novels that mention the
utilitarian use of jade cups and bowls, indicate that jade was
highly valued and used for eating and drinking (see p. 400).
Compare also a bowl included in the exhibition A Romance
With Jade, From the De An Tang Collection, Palace Museum,
Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 116; a slightly larger pair, from the
Cunliffe collection, sold at Bonhams London, 11th November
2002, lot 10, and again in these rooms, 2nd May 2005,
lot 555; and another pair from the collection of Lieutenant
Colonel Kenneth Dingwall DSO (1869-1946), sold in our
London rooms, 14th May 2014, lot 23.