Page 88 - Nov 28 Chinese Art Hong Kong

THE PROPERTY OF A EUROPEAN FAMILY 歐洲家族藏品

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A VERY RARE IMPERIAL YELLOW JADE ARCHAISTIC
‘TROMPE L’OEIL’ EWER, GUANG
Qianlong
Superbly carved in the form of an archaic bronze guang vessel
supported on a low stepped foot, delicately carved with a large ribbon-
tied sash around the flattened angular body enclosed within key-fret
borders, smoothly rising to a waisted neck with a curving spout on one
side while the opposite decorated in openwork with a stylised dragon
forming the handle, the interior deeply hollowed, the softly polished
stone of rich honey-yellow tone with attractive chestnut inclusions.
12cm (4 5/8in) high

HK$500,000 - 800,000
US$64,000 - 100,000

清乾隆 黃玉仿古錦袱紋觥

Provenance:
An English private collection, and thence by descent

來源：
英國私人舊藏，後由家族繼承

The yellow jade ewer is exceptional for its rich honey-yellow tone The present lot may be included in a very selected group of archaistic
heightened with warm chestnut inclusions. The master carver yellow jade vessels made during the Qianlong reign. Compare three
celebrated the rare stone by leaving it plain except for the subtle and related archaistic yellow jade vessels, in the Qing Court Collection,
imaginative ‘trompe l’oeil’ decoration simulating a silk sash tied around illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade
the body displaying masterful fluid contours, mirrored in the sweeping 10 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, nos.14 (fang hu and cover, Qing
curvature of the spout and rim. dynasty), 47 (zun, Qianlong mark and period, of rectangular form with
a dragon handle), and 54 (zun, Qing dynasty, in the form of a gu vessel
The appreciation of yellow jade is recorded as early as 1388 in the supported on three sheep); and see also a yellow jade fang hu and
Gegu Yaolun (格古要論) written by Cao Zhao, and translated by Sir cover, Qing dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated
Percival David in Chinese Connoisseurship: The Ko Ku Yao Lun: The by Chang Li-tuan, ibid., no.22.
Essential Criteria of Antiquities, London, 1971, p.120, where it is noted
with regard to the category of yellow jade (huang yu), that: ‘stones with A related yellow jade archaistic ewer and cover, Qianlong, but without
the colour of the chestnut kernel, known also as pure (literally ‘sweet’) the ‘trompe l’oeil’ design, was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8
yellow, are the most valuable...’. October 2014, lot 3728.

The ewer is a superb example of archaism inspired by the form of 此黃玉觥玉質溫潤，有褐色糖沁。工匠巧妙借用玉石石紋，巧雕一錦
archaic bronze guang wine vessels, but reinterpreted by the Qing 袱系於器身，紋飾富有新意，極具巧思，實為難得。
jade ateliers in the taller shape and sweeping contours. The Qianlong
Emperor proposed to ‘restore ancient ways’, referring to the view of 黃玉自古備受珍視，明人曹昭在《格古要論》中提及：「黃玉如粟
ancient culture as having intrinsic qualities of sincerity, simplicity and 者為貴謂之甘黃玉焦黃者次之。」此黃玉觥之式樣，取上古青銅酒
happy exuberance. For this purpose, he instructed the Court to collect 器，再加以創新，巧雕錦袱，既印證清高宗乾隆繼承宋明以來慕古的
drawings of antiques, such as the Scroll of Antiquities in the Percival 傳統思想，又凸顯宮廷玉雕之巧工。乾隆帝認為古典器物樸素、精
David Foundation (now in the British Museum), which were provided to 純、高雅、有意涵，並以《西清古鑑》為校本，交玉工命其按古彝器
the craftsmen; see Chang Li-tuan, The Refined Taste of the Emperor: 樣式雕刻玉器，見《宮廷之雅：清代仿古及畫意玉器特展圖錄》，台
Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, 北，1997年，頁49-50。
Taipei, 1997, pp.49-50.
錦袱紋始於清雍正年間，流行於乾隆，但常見於琺瑯器、玻璃器、瓷
The present ewer is exceptionally rare for the ‘trompe l’oeil’ silk 器，但玉器上極為少見。根據檔案記載，乾隆皇帝對自己喜愛之各類
cloth tied around the body of the ewer. The Qianlong Emperor is 器皿，會要求造辦處專門配做錦袱包裹，或用楠木匣盛裝，並將器物
famous for his fascination of objects that simulate other materials, 的名稱、年號刻在匣蓋上，以示珍藏。可見乾隆帝對錦袱裝飾喜愛程
following on from similarly imaginative designs first introduced during 度。
the Yongzheng reign. The knotted cloth is a Japanese concept
reflecting Japanese furoshiki packaging customs, and this design 黃玉玉料珍貴，傳世品中多見用於仿古器，見北京故宮博物院清宮舊
element is frequently used on Japanese lacquer ware. The decoration 藏少數幾件黃玉雕仿古器，著錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器編10
simulating a textile wrapping around the vessel appears on a variety 清代玉器》，北京，2011年，編號14（黃玉獸耳銜環壺），編號47
of media made in Imperial Workshops of the Qianlong Emperor, such （清乾隆黃玉龍耳尊），編號54（清黃玉三羊尊），見台北國立故宮
as porcelain, metal-bodied wares with painted enamels, cloisonné 博物院藏一件黃玉獸面鈁，同前著錄，編號22。
enamel, glass and wood or lacquer, which were made in very small
numbers. However, such designs are even rarer in jade. 香港蘇富比曾售出一例素面黃玉觥，可資參考，2014年10月8日，拍
品編號3728。

86 | BONHAMS