Page 160 - Important Chinese Art Sothebys March 2019

the present brushpot is intricately carved with an idyllic other impressive spinach-green jade brushpots of this
scene of scholars at leisure. the erudite companions caliber and category that are held in major collections
have convened for an ‘elegant gathering’ at an open-air include one depicting the ‘Gathering at the orchid pavilion’,
studio set in a hilly garden lush with vegetation. natural formerly in the heber Bishop Collection, and now in the
and balustraded paths snake above the rocky riverbanks collection of the metropolitan museum of art, new York,
connecting the various areas of the garden. at one side of acc. no. 02.18.679; one with a four-character Qianlong mark
a pavilion, water flows swiftly down a hillside stream before and illustrating a literati gathering at Xi Yuan (‘Western
joining the current running around the foot of the brushpot. Garden’) in the collection of the palace museum, Beijing,
Boulders, mature wutong, foliate bamboo, prickly pines, and illustrated in ibid., pl. 168; and a brushpot deftly carved with
large-leafed plantain trees, each carved to varying depths, fill the ‘seven sages of the Bamboo Grove’ from the collection
the composition with texture, naturalism, and sweeping lines of e. L. paget, illustrated in stanley Charles nott, Chinese
that lead the eye on an active journey around the vessel. Jade throughout the Ages: A Review of its Characteristics,
the overall effect is a coherent environment that perfectly Decoration, Folklore, and Symbolism, rutland and tokyo,
accommodates the scholars’ needs to immerse themselves 1962, pl. CXXVI.
in nature without forgoing the creature comforts that enable see also a spinach-green jade brushpot carved with the
them to pursue their vocation.
‘seven sages of the Bamboo Grove’ and inscribed with a
a number of impressive spinach-green jade brushpots Qianlong mark and a date corresponding to 1776, from the
carved with ‘elegant gatherings’, or related idealized Concordia house Collection, which sold in these rooms,
scholarly scenes such as the ‘Gathering at the orchid 19th march 2007, lot 50; a ‘scholarly gathering’ green jade
pavilion’ or the ‘seven sages of the Bamboo Grove’ were brushpot, formerly in the collection of the Fogg museum of
produced in the 18th century, when blocks of large, good- art at harvard University, sold in these rooms, 18th march
quality jade became available and the art of jade carving 2008, lot 16; and an imperial spinach-green jade brushpot
was at its zenith. excellent examples of this type include a carved with a scene from Xi Yuan (‘Western Garden’) and
Qianlong era green jade brushpot in the collection of the a 39-character imperial poem with a date corresponding to
palace museum, Beijing, which is carved with six scholars 1748, from the collection of Charles Gaillart de Blairville (b.
gathered at Zhu Xi (‘Bamboo stream’), and features a 1821), sold at Christie’s paris, 15th December 2010, lot 106.
vignette similar to the one on the present brushpot wherein
a scholar seated at a painting table is helped to wine by an
attendant, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures
of the Palace Museum: Jadeware (III), hong Kong, 1995, pl. 169.

158 SOTHEBY’S Important ChInese art