Page 22 - Christie's London May 14, 2019 Chinese Works of Art

81
A LARGE IMPERIAL GILT-DECORATED SPINACH-GREEN JADE
MUSICAL CHIME, BIANQING
KANGXI PERIOD, DATED BY INSCRIPTION TO 1716
The angled stone is drilled for suspension and is decorated in two shades of
gilding with confronted fve-clawed dragons running amidst clouds in pursuit
of a faming pearl, and the edges are painted with cartouches enclosing double
ruyi and inscribed with Kangxi wushiwu nianji, 'Made in the ffty-ffth year of the
Kangxi period' [corresponding to 1716]), and on the striking edge with xianlu,
which denotes the tone. The jade is a dark green colour.
19¾ in. (49.8 cm.) wide, stand
£120,000-180,000 US$160,000-230,000
€140,000-210,000
PROVENANCE:
Sotheby's New York, 16 March 1984, lot 345.
The Personal Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman.
Roger Keverne, London, May 2008.
Property from a Princely Collection.
EXHIBITED:
Christie's New York, 13-26 March 2001.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, August 2003-December 2004.
LITERATURE:
Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman,
Hong Kong, 1996, no. 64.
Chime stones appeared in the Shang dynasty and are amongst the earliest
musical instruments in China. The chime would have been suspended from
the circular aperture at its right angle and assembled in graduated sets of
sixteen, according to size. They were hung in two tiers of eight within tall
wooden frames. During the early Qing dynasty, the desire to follow Confucian
traditions saw a revival of chime stones made by imperial commission for use
(inscriptions)
in ritual ceremonies, banquets and processions.
Qing court protocol referred to two diferent types of chime stone sets: sets
of sixteen stones (bianqing) and sets of twelve individual stones (teqing). The
current lot belongs to the frst category. It is more unusual to fnd a chime
stone dated to the Kangxi period than those made during the Qianlong
period. A Kangxi period spinach-green chime stone also dated to 1716, was
included in the exhibition Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, Victoria and
Albert Museum, London, 1975, and illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 410.

清康熙1716年 御製碧玉描金雲龍紋編磬

來源:
紐約蘇富比1984年3月16日, 拍品345
Alan及Simone Hartman私人珍藏
Roger Keverne, 倫敦, 2008年5月
貴族私人珍藏

出版: Robert Kleiner，《Chinese Jades from the Collection
of Alan and Simone Hartman》，香港，1996年，編號64

展覽:
美國波士頓美術館，2003年8月至2004年12月
紐約佳士得, 2001年3月13至26日

20 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.