Page 67 - Sotheby's Sir Quo Wei Lei Collection Oct. 3, 2018

The present washer is superbly worked from a
洗呈靈芝如意式，玉質細膩溫潤，白玉帶糖。掏
creamy and softly gleaming white jade boulder 膛規整，厚壁深腹，如意頭一側一對蝙腹遙遙相
with russet inclusions. Taking the form of a 望。洗外浮雕靈芝，枝幹盤底，枝葉卷曲，靈芝
large lingzhi head, its robust and deep sides 姿態各異，趣意盎然。
are complemented by a pair of bats staring at
each other across the rim. Worked in relief on 此洗以獨料隨形雕琢，雕工利落嫻熟，打磨精
the exterior are further lingzhi borne on twisted 細，枝葉錯落，葉脈枝幹線條明快，刻劃遊刃有
gnarled stems issuing furled leaves, in various 餘。造型碩大，不失清雅，置於案頭，可供觀
positions for the amusement of the viewer.
賞，與筆墨相伴，與文人相對，賞心悅目。
The lingzhi fungus, Ganoderma lucidum, was
considered the most important of all medicines 靈芝乃百草之首，被視為瑞草；靈芝亦被古籍記
and a talisman for luck. It is also associated with 載為歌頌聖君賢王德政之仙草。《尚書大傳》
the virtues of a ruler; classical texts such as 曰：「王者德先地序，則芝草生」；《白虎通》
Shangshu Dazhuan, Baihu Tong and Ruiying Tu 曰：「德至山陵，則景雲出，芝實茂」；《瑞應
all consider the growth of lingzhi an indicator of 圖》曰：「王者敬事耆老，不失舊故，則芝草
good government. The lingzhi motif, commonly
found on imperial wares, represents a visual 生」。宮廷器物中多見靈芝紋飾，除了表達長壽
rebus for the wish for longevity and a virtuous 安康，也顯示了聖王德政之美意。
and benevolent rule.
Another jade ‘lingzhi’ washer from the Pilkington
collection was sold in these rooms, 6th April
2016, lot 65. See also another with two lingzhi
sold in our New York rooms, 8th October 1983,
lot 119, and again in these rooms, 18th May 1989,
lot 737.