Page 94 - Bonhams Hong King May 30 2017 THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES

Xiqing gujian 西清古鑑 (A catalogue of ancient ritual bronzes in the
collection of the Qianlong emperor), vol.38, p.46
The present lot is an outstanding and important example of an
early jade carving which represents the pinnacle of Han dynasty
jade craftsmanship. This rhythmically carved bird is remarkable for
its intricate relief decoration in various depths and its finely incised
details on the feathers, exhibiting the carver’s exceptional technique in the Court to collect drawings of antiquities, which served as sources
producing a naturalistic and dynamic three-dimensional jade animal.
During the Han dynasty, weights of this type are believed to have
been used by the Imperial family and high nobility to place on mats
lining the floor, which were used for sitting at the time. These were
often weighted at the corners with gilt-bronze weights, or more
exceptionally, prized jade carvings. These kind of weights were usually
made in the shape of animals or human figures, and would have been
made in sets of four. The present lot would have been associated with
the animals of ‘the four directions’: the green dragon (East), the white
tiger (West), the dark tortoise encircled by a snake (North) and the
red bird or phoenix (South) as in the present lot; so the four directions ‘Dehui yunri’ 德輝雲日, meaning ‘Virtue is as broad as the sky’, indeed
symbolised the entire world. Being at the centre surrounded by the
animals of the Four Directions conveyed a high social status and
power of the person, suggesting the possibility that the present lot
once belonged to a member of the Imperial family or a high ranking
noble.
Compare a bronze weight in the form of a mythical bird, Han dynasty,
in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (museum no.000333N);
although the craftsmanship of bronze weight is less detailed, the bird
is similarly depicted perched on a circular base with a bulbous body,
a pointed beak and a single horn. Also compare the modelling of Han
dynasty jade carvings of turtledoves, which were typically used as staff
pommels, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei; similarly depicted
with a single horn and long tail feathers, illustrated in Art in Quest of
Heaven and Truth: Chinese Jades through the Ages, Taipei, 2011,
nos.3-3-36 and 5-4-7.
92 | BONHAMS
The present lot is closely related to a line drawing of a bronze weight
in the shape of a mythical-bird, Han dynasty, published in Xiqing gujian
西清古鑑 (A catalogue of ancient ritual bronzes in the collection of the
Qianlong emperor), vol.38, p.46. The Qianlong emperor instructed
of designs for the production of contemporary vessels, in order
to reinstate the intrinsic qualities of simplicity, sincerity and happy
exuberance of the ancient cultures; see Chang Li-tuan, The Refined
Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial
Jades of the Ch’ing Court, Taipei, 1997, pp.49-50. The line drawing
of the mythical bird shows close similarities to the present jade weight
including the overall shape of the object, the depiction of the curling
long tail feathers, as well as the wings and tail feathers portrayed in
dense and detailed lines.
The auspicious inscription incised on the underside of the present lot,
reflects the Qianlong emperor’s aspirations. The execution of the four
characters on the present lot is typical of the fluid and elegant style of
the Qianlong period jade seal-script inscriptions.
According to Shuowen Jiezi 說文解字, a Chinese dictionary written
by the Eastern Han dynasty scholar Xu Shen, jade symbolises the five
virtues of humanity: benevolence, integrity, intelligence, bravery and
honesty. The Qianlong emperor regularly oversaw the entire process of
jade production to ensure that the finished pieces met his standards
of purpose and beauty; he also composed more than eight-hundred
poems and essays about jade, demonstrating the importance of this
prized and symbolic material to the emperor.