Page 261 - Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art II

2402
A SMALL DARK GREEN JADE QUADRILOBED INCENSE TOOL VASE
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

The center of each side is plain between the lobed corners carved
with archaistic dragon scroll on the body and cicadas on the neck,
below C-scrolls on the fat rim. The stone is of rich, dark green color
and semi-translucent on the neck.
4√ in. (12.4 cm.) high, ftted, carved wood box

$50,000-70,000

PROVENANCE:

Glasgow Art Galleries & Museums Reg. No., according to label.

Jade vases of this type were made as part of jade incense garnitures, that
also included an incense burner and cover and an incense box and cover
that held incense either in strip, coil or pellet form. The vases held the
implements for manipulating the incense, including a pair of chopsticks and
a small spatula to rake or smooth the bed of ashes in the censer. Such a
garniture in dark green jade, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, dated to the
Qianlong period, which includes a vase very similar to the present vase, is
illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji, gongyi meishu, yuqi, vol. 9, Beijing,
1986, p. 189, no. 320. A very similar vase was also part of a green jade
incense garniture sold at Christie’s New York, 23 March 1995, lot 221,
which was similar to the garniture in the Palace Museum.

清乾隆 碧玉雕仿古紋四瓣式小瓶

(another view)

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