Page 25 - 2019 September 9th Bonhams Important Chinese Works of Art

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A CELADON JADE ‘PRUNUS’ SLIP HOLDER This small elegant jade container would have been used to hold
18th century numbered slips made of either bamboo, wood or ivory. The container
Of cylindrical form with a slightly everted rim and convex lip, the sides would have been held between the hands and gently shaken until one
finely carved with gnarled blossoming prunus trees growing from a of the numbered slips rises above the rest and falls out, providing the
ground punctuated with fantastic rocks and lingzhi sprigs beneath a desired random number. The numbers could be attached to poems
full moon, all supported on a recessed foot, the translucent stone with used for divination or to themes for poems, where scholars would then
some cloudy-white inclusions and a lustrous polish. compose a poem based on the theme assigned to that number.
4 1/8in (10.4cm) high
A Ming dynasty example was sold at Christie’s London, 6 November
$30,000 - 40,000 2009, lot 59. Another 18th century jade example, described as a small
brushpot was sold at Sotheby’s Paris, 16 December 2010, lot 25, and
a Qianlong period example, also described as a small brushpot was
十八世紀 青玉雕寒月枯梅圖籤詩筒 sold at Christie’s, South Kensington, 13 May 2011, lot 1075.

Provenance:
A French collection, acquired in China before 1922
Christie’s Paris, 11 December 2014, lot 13

來源：
法國珍藏，1922年前購於中國
巴黎佳士得，2014年12月11日，拍賣編號13

FINE CHINESE WORKS OF ART AND PAINTINGS | 23