Page 190 - Christie's Leisurely Life May 29, 2019 Hong Kong

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This type of vase is often referred to as a ‘champion vase’, an ᫉≡଍ᆨἃ㫐⪩ᅴ卿≡⯝≡㧿᫈㬷㫌Ӭ㺨㺠⛁ᙻ⇧℡Ԡӳ卿㺨
appellation translated from the Chinese, ying (eagle) and xiong 㺠㫐⨫ཿ㧷㏧᱙ᙻݦڬ≡೅ǯ⫫㬷㩠㢃ᐍ卿㢃㮱㱈Ӭ℡㬷ǯ
(bear), describing the two beasts represented, but also forming
the pun on the word for ‘champion’ or ‘hero’. These were ᫉଍ἃԳ㪏֎ऒℱ଍ǯԳ㪏⎑Ⴝᝪཆ᳖༈ݤᄙᘘ⻦ऒ଍⁒⎏எ
especially popular during the late-Ming to mid-Qing periods, 㢙卿ൈǶ㇛᳖ऒ㦶ǷՒճℱ႙ἃݯㅳהℱ଍ᛞ⎏⻤ទǯǶ㇛᳖
and were found in bronzes as well as in jades.
ऒ㦶Ƿ࣍ࢦݨ㖊ᝳӬ։Ǹ৿䂆㺨㫐❖≡ǹ卻ވˏ卼卿ݯὍ㋏ཨ
During the Qianlong period, the Emperor took great interests ༿ࣿ㙁௛⎐⯝᫉଍ࢦߎ⏟ַ卿ᇈज⬒࣊ἃ᫉଍⎏⻤ទǯ
in antiquities and a variety of works of art rendered in different
media, such as jade carvings, found their inspiration from ᫉㯸㫐⪩≡ࣽ♑ἃ㾁㪾ᎵⲖ㪾≡卿ս㰮☂㓚㓀⇧℡ἃㅛ㱈Ԗ㵲ǯ
treasures that were already collected within the Forbidden झ࢈ᘢ༈Ⅷ⻦ԋᝳᙇ։㯸ַֿ㙁௛Ӷ⏌⏟ऱ⎏ᚺ᳖ℱ㐏㫐⪩≡卿
City. A drawing of a bronze champion vase very similar to the ज㏱ᬘ㖅ǯࣻ⩠Ӭ։㖅ཎ⎏ᚺջ⎊ℱ㫐⪩≡卻㵶 ݩߎ厎㱦⻦
present vase in size and design is illustrated in the woodblock ⤔⽚厍ᘢ ℱ 卼卿ݯ㺨ǮぞǮ⇧℡⎏ᆨ㎜㖅ᛮឆ㊕ᆌǯ
printed catalogue Xiqing Gujian, ‘Inspection of Antiques’, which
may have served as the model of the current vase (fig. 1). औࣻ⩠Ӭ։჌⸌⎏Գ㪏᪪⎊ℱ㫐⪩≡卻㵶 ݩߎ卼卿ݯㅛ㱈
㰍ᡟ㖅߿ងה৅ᆎἍ卿⯝᫉଍ࢦߎ⏟㘆卿㇦Ƕ༈ᅡԠ㪿厍᳖ջ֎
The National Palace Museum, Taipei, has several similar jade ऒ⊺ዪℱ଍⁞ཿஎ㢙Ƿ卿झ࢈卿 卿எ‸ ǯݯձ⎏Գ㪏㘆ַ
champion vases dating to Ming and Qing dynasties in its
collection. These vary in style and decorative motifs, with the ׾जࣻ⩠ٳᘹ⣠അߧՌⰻ֬⁞ࢷ⁒㱦Ꮢ⻦Ӭ։㬪⎊ℱ㫐⪩≡卻㵶
eagle and bear adopting a more exaggerated style in earlier ݩߎ卼卿㇦ែᙹ㪃≢ໝᝯཿ㈇Ƕ$IJOFTF +BEF 5ISPVHIPVU UIF
example, as can be seen on a smaller white jade example (9.4 "HFTǷ卿 卿எ‸ 厎࢈՗ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦჌᪪ݦ׾卿Ӭἃ㬪
cm. high; accession number: gu-yu-003783). Compare also ⎊ℱ㐏卻㵶 ݩߎ卼卿Ӭἃ┡ℱ㐏卻㘻㵶 ݩߎ卼卿ߎ㖊
with a white jade Qianlong fanggu-marked example (13.3 cm. ᙻǶԋஇℱ଍ݥ㫀 ě ě ᳖Ƿ卿ᯇ࢈卿 卿எ‸ 卿ࣿᘢ༈
high overall) with cover carved in similar style as the present
vase, with the animals depicted in a more formal manner, ࢷ⁒㩴⻦Ⅷ৅ݥ㫀Ƕℱ଍卻Ӵ卼Ƿ卿㲞ᳰ卿 卿எ‸ ǯ
see The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of 㐏஠Ⱞൃ⎏ℱ㫐⪩≡ᙻ᱁㘻㯅ఓԋ㯄ἃཐ㇦卿㘆ַ׾㇦ ჺ
Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, Taipei, 1997, no.
17. For other jade champion vases from the Qianlong period, ᝲ ᚚᙻ㲞ᳰצ೥ᇑᐽ㐈卿ᐽ৅ ⽚卻㵶 ݩߎ卼卿ࣿ
compare with a white jade example with cover from the Salting ⊳ᝆ᛿⯠⻦Ӭ׾卿 ჺ ᝲ ᚚᙻ⡥⡙צ೥ᇑᐽ㐈卿ᐽ৅
Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated by J. ⽚卻㵶 ݩߎ卼卿㊃Հ։ℱ㐏⎐ڍ㬪卿Ӷַ᫉଍ൈ᫉ᵐᷪ
Rawson, Chinese Jade throughout the ages, London, 1975, no. ᷛ⎊ǯ
442; and two Qianlong fanggu-marked examples in the Palace
Museum, Beijing, one of greenish-white jade, illustrated in
Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji - 6 - Qing, Hebei, 1991, no. 244, the other
of spinach-green jade, illustrated in The Complete Collection
of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Jadeware, III, Hong Kong,
1995, pp. 184-5, no. 151.
It is rare to find a Qianlong jade champion vase of this quality
and tone. Compare with a celadon jade example sold at
Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3621 (26.7 cm. high),
and a greenish-white jade example from Heber Reginald
Bishop, sold at Christie’s New York, 13 September 2012, lot
1032 (21 cm. high), while both examples testify to the finest
jade craftsmanship of the Qianlong period, their tones carry a
greenish tinge and are not as white as the current example.

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