Page 158 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art Nov 2013 London

The Property of a European Family 歐洲家族藏品

129
A fine and rare ‘sodden snow’ white jade
‘egrets and lotus’ vase and cover
Qianlong/ Jiaqing
The gleaming white stone expertly carved as a smooth flattened vase
with scroll handles and a stepped cover, flanked by a pair of egrets
wading beneath a blossoming lotus pod and thickly curling lotus leaf
on the right, and another pair of egrets under a lotus flower and bud,
all rising from a bank of swirling foaming waves, wood stand.
19cm (7½in) wide (3)
£20,000 - 30,000
HK$250,000 - 370,000 CNY200,000 - 290,000

清乾隆/嘉慶 白玉雕鷺蓮紋蓋瓶

Provenance: a distinguished European private collection, acquired
circa 1950s-1970s, and thence by descent

來源：顯赫歐洲私人收藏，購於約1950至1970年代，並由家族繼承
下去

The present vase is a fine example of the master carver Compare a related yellow jade carving of two joined vases flanked
demonstrating the quality of the white jade stone on the plain surface by rams and a Buddhist lion, Qianlong seal mark and period,
of the vase in the centre, whilst presenting his deft craftsmanship in from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated by Zheng Xinmiao, ed.,
the intricate carving of the egrets or herons standing amidst the lotus Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum - Jade, Qing
blossoms, their petals superbly carved with undulating edges, all Dynasty, vol.10, Beijing, 2010, pl.30.
atop the swirling waves carved on the underside. A related white jade vase and cover flanked by a deer and a crane,
18th century, was sold in these rooms on 8 November 2012, lot 194.
The fine white jade stone quality would have underlined the
symbolism represented by the egrets or herons, which when
depicted amidst lotus, symbolise the Confucian ideal of a virtuous
official, as well as the meaning ‘may your path be always upwards’ -
the characters for ‘egret’ (lu 鷺) and ‘reed’ (lu 蘆) are homophones for
the character for ‘road’ (lu 路), and the character for ‘lotus’ (lian 蓮),
is a homophone for the character for ‘continous’ (lian 連). Together
for the phrase ‘lu lu lian ke 路路連科’, auguring well for a string of
successes in exams and most probably alluding to the renowned
Imperial jinshi examination, the gateway for appointment in the
Imperial civil service.

156 | Bonhams