Page 64 - Chinese Art Bonhams San Francisco December 18, 2017

PROPERTY FROM A MONTANA ESTATE
902
A FINE PALE GREENISH-WHITE JADE SCREEN WITH CARVED It is possible then this artifact was a personalized tribute to the court
LANDSCAPE by a loyal subject to the Qianlong emperor to remind him of the good
18th/19th century times his majesty had during his visits over the years. Indeed, the
Of tall section with a rounded top edge, carved in raised relief to depict quality of the stone and several stylistic choices compare favorably
the Lingyan Shan temple complex of Suzhou and its iconic tower with jades from the 18th century. For a specific example, compare the
above a rocky tree-laden mountain, the reverse incised in a selection rendering of the trees with those on a boulder dated to the ‘middle
of poems about the Lingyan Shan region, each poem bearing cyclical part of the Qing dynasty’ in the imperial collection: Gugong Bowuyuan
dates equivalent to 1751, 1757, 1762, and 1765 and bearing a Cang Wenwu Zhenpin Quanji 42: Yuqi (xia) (The Complete Collection
signature reading chen Bi Yuan jingshu [respectfully written by Bi Yuan] of Treasures of the Palace Museum 42: Jadeware (III)) (Hong Kong,
and seals reading Chen and Yuan; the stone of mottled sea-foam 2006), p. 85 no. 72.
green hue.
9 1/4in (23.5cm) high On the other hand, note that the final poem on this plaque as well as a
line-drawing nearly identical to the carved landscape depicting Lingyan
$50,000 - 70,000 Mountain were published in the Suzhou gazetteer, (Suzhou Fuzhi), see
the 1874 edition currently available on Google Books. Per He Li et al,
Provenance Later Chinese Jades: Ming Dynasty to Early Twentieth Century (San
purchased in Shanghai before 1947, by repute; Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2007) pp. 26-27, lapidaries supplying
thence by descent to the present owner imperial commissions as well as domestic and foreign markets
remained centered in Suzhou through the end of the dynasty and
The four poems all bear dates which coincide with one of Qianlong’s into the Republic era. Carvers later in the dynasty or afterwards could
southern inspection tours and all take as their subject matter the have used this gazetteer for inspiration, copying its depiction of a well-
temple at Lingyan mountain outside of Suzhou. The inscription is known hometown landmark and then attributing its production to one
attributed to Bi Yuan (1730-1797), a well-known and important official of its more famous past residents.
in the Qianlong regime, also known by his hao of Lingyan Shanren, or
the man of Lingyan mountain. Coincidentally, a fan bearing calligraphy
also attributed to Bi is being offered as part of lot 6498 in sale 24266 in
these rooms on December 19th, 2017.

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