Page 40 - Imperial Jade Paris June 22, 2017
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The poem may be translated as follows: Ⴞࠩد
炗
‘From the Hetian Treasury Storehouse,
this comes as court tribute,
Its creamy material a foot long
and then even more.
Polished into a curved ne jade piece,
it is easy for the hand to hold,
so-called ‘As You Wish’
is a ne name for it.
May the crane of longevity utter its feathers
for You in the Garden of Repletion,
and the fruiting peaches of immortality
blossom ever again at Jasper Pond.
Great blessings We o er up this New Year
to the Queen Mother of the West
With this poor specimen of such little use
but said to gleam so magni cently.’
‘Inscribed on a ‘Hetian Peach and Crane Ruyi Sceptre’,
respectfully o ered to the Empress Dowager in support of her
health and happiness in the New Year.’
Dated Qianlong guisi mengchun yubi (Inscribed in the
Emperor’s Own Hand, dated the rst month of spring in the
year guisi [23 January – 20 February 1773])
Seals: Guxiang (Antique Fragrance) and Taipu (Supreme
Uncut Jade)
in Yuzhi shiji (Poetry Collection Composed By His Majesty), Siji
(Fourth Collection) Wenyuange Siku quanshu, 9:23a-23b.
Qing Gaozong yuzhi shiwen quan ji, Yuzhi shi si ji, juan 9, p.23
38 SOTHEBY’S