Page 283 - Christie's Fine Chiense Works of Art November 2018 London

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION
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A YELLOW JADE AND RUSSET CARVING OF AN ARCHAISTIC A rhyton is a ceremonial libation vessel based on the shape of a horn, hence
‘CHILONG’ RHYTON its Chinese name gong, which includes the Chinese character for ‘horn’ in
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795) its composition. These forms have been known since antiquity, inspired by
The vessel is carved with archaistic patterns, with two chilong dragons their counterparts in Western metalwork and then elaborated upon by the
climbing on one side. The bottom of the rhyton is shaped as a sweeping Chinese craftsmen, creating them out of ornamental material such as jade
bifurcated dragon tail. The stone is of a pale greenish-yellow tone with dark and adding decorative devices such archaistic patterns and handles in the
brown and russet inclusions. shape of mythical beasts such as chilong.
6º in. (16 cm.) long
£20,000-40,000 $27,000-52,000 Compare a rhyton dating to the 13th century, which may have served as
€23,000-45,000 a prototype for the present lot as it is also carved two chilong clambering
on the vessel which stands on a dragon-tail foot in the collection of the
Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession no. 92.103.2. A pale greenish-white
jade rhyton with an inscription by Qianlong emperor dating to 1787 in the
Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is published in the Arts Council of Great
Britain and The Oriental Ceramic Society, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages,
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1 May – 22 June 1975, p. 134, catalogue
no. 446. Also compare a yellow jade rhyton from the Qing court collection
with a single chilong handle and dragon-tail foot published in The Complete
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (III), Hong Kong,
1995, no. 137.
清乾隆 黃玉帶皮雕螭龍紋杯
來源: 歐洲私人珍藏

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