Page 166 - Bonhams FINE CHINESE ART London November 2 2021

321
AN ARCHAISTIC PALE GREEN JADE
VASE, HU
Qianlong
The vessel of flattened baluster shape rising
from a stepped foot to a waisted neck flanked
by a pair of archaistic chilong handles below
the lipped rim, the body finely carved on each
side with a large taotie mask, the stone of pale
green tone with a few dark brown and green
inclusions, with a spinach-green jade stand
supported by four ruyi feet. With the stand
15.5cm (6in) high. (2).
£2,000 - 3,000
CNY18,000 - 27,000
清乾隆 青白玉浮雕仿古紋瓶
The taotie masks on the present jade vase,
based on ancient bronze vessels, show
the enthusiasm at Court for archaism. The
Qianlong Emperor proposed to ‘restore
ancient ways’, referring to the view of ancient
culture as having intrinsic moral qualities of
sincerity, simplicity and happy exuberance. For
this purpose the Emperor instructed the Court
to collect drawings of antiquities, such as the
Xiqing gujian (Catalogue of Xiqing Antiquities).
Jade carvers were thus encouraged to study
archaic bronze vessels in the Qing Court
Collection or in illustrated woodblock prints,
and adapting them to the medium of jade;
see Chang Li-tuan, The Refined Taste of the
Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and
Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, Taipei,
1997, pp.49-50.
Compare with a related white jade incense
tool vase, with archaistic motifs, Qianlong,
which was sold at Bonhams London,
5 November 2020, lot 141.
321
322
A BLACK AND WHITE JADE CARVING OF
AN OX AND MYTHICAL BEAST
18th/19th century
Crisply carved, the ox lying placidly on its
stomach with four legs bent underneath and
the head turned to the left to gaze behind at a
mythical beast spouting water on its hind legs,
the ox’s twisted horns separated by an incised
whorl pattern on the forehead, a large hump
at the top of the curved spine, the stone of
bluish-grey tone with white sections cleverly
incorporated into the design.
8.5cm (3 2/8in) long.
£2,000 - 3,000
CNY18,000 - 27,000
十八/十九世紀 黑白玉雕牛生麒麟擺件
The mythical beast is probably a qilin, as
according to one legend, an ox gave birth to a
qilin. See for example a white and russet jade
buffalo and qilin group, Qianlong, illustrated by
R.Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection
322 of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong,
1996, pl.189.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
164 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.