Page 197 - Christie's Leisurely Life May 29, 2019 Hong Kong

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY
3033
A RARE CELADON JADE RITUAL BELL
QIANLONG INCISED FOUR-CHARACTER MARK IN A LINE AND OF
THE PERIOD (1736-1795)
The spreading, domed body of the bell is carved with a concentric
band of vajra set between a beaded border below a band of florets
and vajra. The shoulder is carved in relief with eight petal lappets,
each enclosing a lhansa character. The handle is modelled with a
half vajra finial surmounting the face of Buddha below. The semi-
translucent stone is of a pale celadon tone. The reign mark is
carved in a line above the shoulder.
7 ƒ in. (19 cm.) high
HK$800,000-1,200,000 US$110,000-150,000

The ritual bell or ghanta, is described in teachings as
'proclaiming the sound of emptiness' and represents the
female aspect of wisdom and truth in voidness of form and
emptiness. The ghanta together with the vajra, were important
Buddhist ritual implements which were held in the right and
left hands respectively to make elaborate ritual movements
and they are also attributes of Buddhist deities. Both are
usually made of bronze where jade examples are far rarer.
An example of a similar jade ritual bell but of a smaller size
is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the
Palace Museum - 42 - Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 134-
135, no. 112, also dated to the Qianlong period (fig. 1).

᪺̗㡳 㤎Ⅾἕ㕺㙵㗉 Ǘ̗㡳ໞ⽗ǘ᜷ᕋטᢎ
᫉㟥ἃ⻦۔דᘰᯧ଍卿ս֎㠩㐏㟥⩧ㅳǯ᳖༈⯠⻦ԋᝳ㙁௛Ǯ fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
⡠㱈⯝᫉㯸ַֿཨ༿⊶ཎ⎏Գ㪏᪪ℱ㟥卿㇦ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦ᙔ⁒ எӬ ࢈՗ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦৅
Ⅷ৅ݥ㫀Ƕℱ଍卻Ӵ卼Ƿ卿㲞ᳰ卿 ჺ卿எ‸ ⽚卻ވˏ卼ǯ

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