Page 102 - March 17 2017 Chinese Art NYC, Christies

~1081
A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE RHYTON

QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)
The cup is well-hollowed and carved on the exterior as an upturned makara or dragon
with wide open jaws, a fnely incised scaly body, sharp claws and scrolling wings, all
on a ground of scale pattern below a narrow rope border and a wide band of archaistic
bird scrolls, with a narrow band of key fret at the rim. The handle is formed as a chilong
clambering up one narrow side to grip the rim with one paw. The stone of cloudy white
tone has some fne faws and highlights of added russet color.
6¿ in. (15.5 cm.) high, hongmu stand, box

$80,000-120,000

Archaistic jade rhytons of this type have their antecedents in jade rhytons of Han
dynasty date, such as the example from the Han dynasty tomb of the King of
Nanyue, illustrated by J. Rawson in Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing,
British Museum, 1995, p. 70, fg. 61. This Han vessel (18.4 cm.) is in the shape of
a horn that rises from a twisted, bifurcated tail-form handle at the bottom, and is
incised around the sides with scroll decoration. By the Song and Ming dynasties,
and into the Qing dynasty, this shape was modifed and the sides were carved with
bands of decoration inspired by that found on bronzes and jades of Eastern Zhou
dynasty, as well as Han dynasty, date, often with the addition of chilong carved
in high relief. This type of later rhyton, is exemplifed by the example in the Asian
Art Museum, San Francisco, Avery Brundage Collection, and is illustrated by J.
Rawson and J. Ayers in Chinese Jade throughout the ages, Oriental Ceramic Society,
1975, p. 97, no. 309, where it is dated Song or Yuan. A number of design elements
of the present rhyton are very similar to those of a dark green jade rhyton in the
Palace Museum, Beijing, which has a Qianlong mark, illustrated by Yang Boda ed.,
Chinese JadesThroughout the Ages - Connoisseurship of Chinese Jades, Vol. 11, Qing
Dynasty, 1996, no. 38. The shape of the vessel is similar, and although the head of
the makara/dragon is carved in higher relief on the present rhyton, the fnely incised
crosshatching on the scales, the scrolling wings and sharp claws are quite similar, as
are the narrow rope and key-fret bands which also border a wide band of archaistic
scroll below the rim. Unlike the present rhyton, the Palace example does not have a
chilong-form handle.
清 白玉仿古紋角形盃

Please note that the use of the symbol ~ for
this particular lot is in reference only to the
100 accompanying wood stand for the lot. Please
contact the sale coordinator if you have any
questions.