Page 85 - Arts D'Asie June 20 2017 Christie's

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112 Table screens, along with a whole array of literati objects, became
very fashionable ornaments of the scholar’s studio from the Ming
ECRAN DE TABLE EN JADE CELADON PALE dynasty and on. Emperor Qianlong was an adamant promoter of
CHINE elegant trends who would sometimes dress as a scholar himself.
Table screens commissioned by the Qing court made with precious
De forme rectangulaire, il est orné d’un grand cyprès dans le jardin materials were the Manchu royal family’s tribute to the literati
de la célèbre Académie de Songyang sur une face, le revers porte un tradition.
poème et un texte de l’Empereur Qianlong racontant sa visite de 1762 The subject shown here is one of the ancient cypress trees on
au sein de ce lieu. the grounds of the famed Songyang Academy in Henan province.
Dimensions : 16.9 x 25.6 cm. (6¬ x 101 in.) It was established as an academy during the Song dynasty in
the 11th century and was highly infuential in the development of
€30,000-50,000 $33,000-55,000 Confucianism. The so-called General Cypress (jiangjun bai) depicted
£26,000-42,000 was a landmark of the venue.
Emperor Qianlong visited the Academy in the early summer of 1762
A PALE CELADON JADE ‘CYPRESS’ TABLE SCREEN and painted the cypress. His poem and inscription on the painting,
CHINA also replicated on a stele in the Academy, commemorated this event.
These texts, along with the seals the emperor used on his painting,
青白玉嵩陽漢柏題詩屏 are later reproduced on this plaque. We observe here an intricate and
painterly imitation of an event.

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