Page 166 - Sothebys HK Dragon Emperor April 2024

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A YELLOW AND RUSSET JADE ‘NINE DRAGON’ 清十八世紀 黃玉帶皮雕九龍戲珠角盃
RHYTON,
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
h. 14 cm

HK$ 480,000-550,000
US$ 61,500-70,500

This magnificent drinking horn is intricately carved with a
mass of swirling dragons and clouds. Accentuated by the
piece’s natural russet inclusions, these dragons are rendered
in astonishing detail and represent the heights of imperial
jade carving. Though archaistic jade rhytons featuring pairs
of chilong dragons can be traced back to the Song dynasty,
pieces of this style and technical excellence are practically
unheard of.
The ‘nine dragon’ motif, symbolising imperial power
and good fortune, appears most famously on a wall of
Ningshougong (Palace of Tranquil Longevity), installed
there in 1771 by the Qianlong Emperor. For other examples
of striking jade vessels of this type, compare a related Qing
brush washer in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing,
illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete collection of
Chinese jades], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, p. 226, pl. 333.

162 FOR COMPLETE CATALOGUING 詳盡圖錄內容請瀏覽 SOTHEBYS.COM/HK1526 163