Page 123 - Sothebys Speelman Gems of Chinese Art

Imperial works of art carved from rose-quartz
agate example in the Heber R. Bishop collection
for the Imperial Qing court are extremely rare. was donated to the Metropolitan Museum
A highly valued and rare imported material, it in 1902, acc. no. 02.18.873. Compare also
was reserved for the finest quality items, such as a spinach-green jade ‘double carp’ vase of
the rare Imperial rose-quartz bowl in the Palace identical iconography from the Qing Court
Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi collection, preserved in the Palace Museum,
quanji [Complete collection of Chinese jades], Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of
vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 20. Usually such Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III),
costly material was used sparingly for miniature Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 49. See also the Qianlong
works of art, such as an imperial rose-quartz reign-marked yellow jade ‘double carp’ vase from
miniature snuff bottle, carved in the form of a the Palmer collection, included in the Victoria
peach, possibly created as a birthday gift for and Albert Museum exhibition Chinese Jade
the emperor, illustrated in Hugh Moss, Victor Throughout the Ages, London, 1975, cat. no. 421,
Graham and Ka Bo Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese and sold at Bonhams London, 11th June 2003,
Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch lot 29, and more recently in these rooms, 9th
Collection, vol. 2, Hong Kong, 1998, no. 272, sold October 2007, lot 1210. For a carnelian-agate
at Bonhams Hong Kong, 23rd November 2010, carving of an individual dragon-carp depicted
lot 86. leaping upwards, see the example advertised by
Spink & Son Ltd on p. 32 of the catalogue of The
The present piece is of substantial size and
International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal
powerfully carved, the movement of the carp
Academy of Arts, London, 1935.
depicted with great vigour, the natural variance
in colour skilfully utilised into the carving. No The motif of leaping carp was a popular subject
comparable example appears to have been for its auspicious associations. According to
published. However, closely related counterparts Teresa Tse Bartholomew in Hidden Meanings
are found in other materials, including two in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 91, carp
superlative works of art still in Beijing. swimming upstream in the Yellow River must
leap the rapids of Dragon’s Gate; the first carp
For a rock crystal double carp in the Palace
to succeed in doing this transforms itself into
Museum, Beijing, see Classics of the Forbidden
dragon. The feat is therefore a metaphor for a
City: Life in the Forbidden City of the Qing
scholar who passes the civil service examinations
Dynasty, Beijing, 2007, pl. 219. A carnelian-
and becomes a high official.
GEMS OF CHINESE ART — THE SPEELMAN COLLECTION I 121