Page 309 - Christie's Asia Week March 2024 Chinese Art

IMPORTANT CHINESE ART INCLUDING THE COLLECTION OF DOROTHY TAPPER GOLDMAN 重要中४藝術暨高曼珍藏

1982, lot 362. Also noteworthy is a large group of dishes, bowls, and
cups all carved from similar green jade and inscribed with Qianlong
seal marks, such as the group of six vessels deaccessioned from the Art
Institute of Chicago and sold at Christie’s New York, 22 March 2007, lot
108, and the group of eight, also deaccessioned from the Art Institute
of Chicago, sold at Christie’s New York, 2 September 2001, lot 313. A
single Qianlong mark-and-period bowl carved from similar green jade
is illustrated in Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series – Jades, Beijing,
2002, no. 236.
In addition to the spinach green jade chimes, this distinctive green
Xinjiang jade was used to make other massive articles, such as vessels,
including the example densely carved with dragons amidst clouds and
water and set on a zitan stand, in the collection of the Palace Museum,
Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji - 6 - Qing, Hebi, 1991, p.
175 and 325, no. 252. This vessel is also illustrated by Yang Boda, ed.,
Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages – Connoisseurship of Chinese Jades,
vol. 12, Qing Dynasty, 1996, no. 2.(Fig. 2) This Palace Museum basin is
inscribed with various couplets from officials and scholars praising the
material and noting that it came from Xinjiang. The basin is inscribed
with a Qianlong mark and a date (1770), but the author notes that
work commenced on this basin in the Palace workshops in 1973 and it
required an impressive six years for completion. The lengthy inscriptions
and lengthy completion times for this basin further demonstrates the
extensive resources, material and appreciation awarded to spinach green
jades during this time. Another green jade basin of similar material and
massive size, also carved with dragons, currently displayed in Le Shou
Tang, is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, accession
number 00199325. The website notes that this vessel was carved from
jade from Xinjiang, and that it took four years to complete and was Fig. 4 Spinach-green jade basin, Qianlong period, dated by inscription to 1762. Palace Fig. 5 Gold double-gourd ewer, Qing dynasty. Palace Museum, Beijing 故00012131,
©Palace Museum, Beijing.
Museum, Beijing 故00093384, ©Palace Museum, Beijing.
finished in the 45 year of the Qianlong reign, corresponding to 1780. 圖̩ 金鏨雲龍紋葫蘆式執ૐ，清代，故宮博ḵ院，٫̺，館藏編號故 ，
th
Fig. 2 Carved spinach-green jade basin, Qianlong period, dated by inscription to 1770. The similarity in stone, size and mark between this basin and the Fagan 圖ो 和田碧玉Բ素盤，據銘文所載，可考為̖隆時期， 年，故宮博ḵ院，٫̺， ©故宮博ḵ院，٫̺
館藏編號故 ，©故宮博ḵ院，٫̺
Palace Museum, Beijing 故00199581, ©Palace Museum, Beijing. jades places the Fagan jades amongst this elite and highly prized group of
圖̣ 叶尔羌青玉云龙纹甕，據銘文所載，可考為̖隆時期， 年，故宮博ḵ院，٫̺，
館藏編號故 ，©故宮博ḵ院，٫̺ Imperial mid-Qianlong-period spinach-green jade vessels.
The Fagan jade basin carved with lotus scroll is of almost identical form Another massive circular jade basin, of a slightly larger size (65.3 cm.)
to a slightly larger Qianlong-marked basin (56.5 cm.) fashioned from and with an everted rim, is inscribed and dated to the renwu year of the
similar stone and with similar satiny polish from the Yale University Art Qianlong period, corresponding to 1762, and is illustrated in Zhongguo
Gallery, illustrated by Denise Leidy, “Chinese Jades: Selections from the yuqi quanji, vol. 6, Qing, Hebei, 1991, p. 46 and p. 275, nos. 76 and 77.
Yale University Art Gallery,” Arts of Asia, May-June 2020, pp. 30-31, (Fig. 4) The material, style of carving and polish are all very similar to
no. 22m. (Fig. 3) The Yale basin is inscribed on the base with a large that of the Fagan basin. The author states that this basin showcases the
Qianlong six-character seal mark within a square that is identical to the bold style and carving of Xinjiang jades.
seal mark on the Fagan basin. The Yale basin, however, is undecorated
on the exterior and is inscribed with numerous poems and odes on the The double-gourd ewers in the group have related examples in other
interior, showcasing its status as an imperial object. This inscription materials, including a gold ewer of similar form, also with dragon-
illustrates the significant reception of this basin at court, and records heads adoring the handle and spout, illustrated in Qinggong Yanyue
twenty-eight poems praising the basin, written by court ministers Cangzhen (The Qing Palace Banquet Treasures), Beijing, 2002, p.
and members of the Imperial Academy under the supervision of Yu 7, no. 22. (Fig. 5) Such ewers were usually made in pairs, and it is
Minzhong (1714-1780), who served as Minister of State from 1760. As speculated that these ewers were made to contain wine. The rendering
Leidy notes, other poems inscribed in the basin were authored by Fu of the dragon heads on the present ewers is similar to that on the
Heng (1722-1770), the younger brother of Qianlong’s first empress, Su aforementioned Palace Museum basin dated to 1770.
Hede (1710-1772), Dong Banda (1696-1769), and Liu Xingwei (1718-1772).
The poems and the basin were likely finished around 1766, which is just The high Imperial favor for spinach-green jades during the Qianlong
two years after the aforementioned 1764 chimes, and just four years reign are evidenced in this abundant quantity of large-scale spinach-green
after the Xinjiang quarry was discovered and mined. Given the likely jades with Imperial marks, dates, and inscriptions. Of comparable size
completion date of 1766 and similar material, it could indicate that this and material, and also bearing the Qianlong marks, the Fagan jade vessels
basin and the Fagen green jades were made around the same time. likely belong to this well-documented group of highly-prized vessels.

Fig. 3. Spinach-green jade basin with inscriptions, Qianlong period. The Yale University Art Gallery, 1976.117.
圖˕ た文碧玉盆，清̖隆，耶魯૯學美術館，館藏編號

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