Page 182 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art April 3 2018

Bronze vases were used in worship rituals and were also being overwrought, excessively ornate, or slavish towards raw
important wine vessels. Book of Rites, Book of Poetry, and materiality. He regarded the popularity of such forms as a
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Mencius all refer to the use of vases as containers of wine in “catastrophe for jade”. Whether these forms strike us today
official ceremonies. The round and flat bronze vases excavated as indeed catastrophic or rather innovative, it is clear that the
from the Warring States-period mausoleum in Pingshan emperor found them unbearable.
County, Zhongshan, Hebei all contain traces of alcohol-the
Influenced by Han culture and passionate about antique
oldest alcohol sample yet to be found in China.
objects, the jade-obsessed Qianlong proceeded actively to
The bronze vase with aquatic creatures in the Qianlong shape jade production with his imperial authority. His solution
Emperor’s collection was later documented in the catalogue to the “catastrophe” was vigorously to promote archaism-the
Xiqing gujian, which was compiled on the Emperor’s order creation of jades in imitation of antique objects, especially
by Liang Shizheng and others between the 14th (1749) and the bronzes and jades dating from the periods between the
20th (1755) year of his reign. Modelled after Xuanhe bogu Shang and Zhou and the Han. Qianlong advocated that “to
tu of the Northern Song Dynasty, Xiqing gujian includes approach the desired feeling of the ancients, it is best to revert
some 1500 bronzes in the imperial court collection dating to origins,” and encouraged jade craftsmen to “consult Bogu
from the periods between the Shang and Zhou and the Tang tu frequently” and “imitate antique vessel types.” After the
dynasties, but Shang and Zhou ritual vessels predominate. 38th year of his reign, archaistic jades became a frequent
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Each work is illustrated and accompanied with detailed textual theme in his poems. Qianlong’s commentary on the present
documentation of its dimensions and weight. Each illustration jade vases with aquatic creatures was as follows: “with two
includes the work’s inscriptions and is conscientious and loop handles on the sides, another loop handle underneath in
accurate. Surpassing similar catalogues of the past, Xiqing front. The middle areas are carved with waterfowl and fish. The
gujian set the highest standards of Chinese books at the time. craftsmanship is most sophisticated and elegant.”
Many of the bronzes in this catalogue later became models for
The vase with aquatic creatures became one of Qianlong’s
Qianlong’s archaistic jades. Thus Qianlong’s poems and the
beloved vessel types for its elegant and solemn form,
palace workshop records from the 56th year of his reign alike
sophisticated and elegant craftsmanship, lively decorative
identify the source of the jade vase in question as Xiqing gujian,
program with swimming turtles and geese and soaring fish
which includes a bronze vase with aquatic creatures identified
and dragons, and for its rich cultural significance as both
a Han-dynasty piece that is consistent in form and decorative
ritual implement and wine vessel. This vase became one of
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programme to the extant jade versions (fig. 4). The bronze
Qianlong’s favourite models for archaistic jades. According
vase measures 9 cun and 4 fen tall, that is slightly above 30
to records of the palace workshops, between the 27th and
cm, and has two loop handles on the side and one loop handle
the 60th year of his reign, as the supply of raw jade became
in front. It is consistent in form and decorative programme
abundant, he ordered such archaistic jade vases produced
with the jade vases. The extant jade vases are likewise
over eight times. Most of these productions came after his
consistent among themselves. The only differences are slight
vocal criticism of the “catastrophe for jades” and his vigorous
and in the details, such as the animal-head loop handles, the
promotion of archaism.
semi-geometric dragon and wave patterns around the neck,
and the poses of the waterfowls, fish, and turtles. They can Below is an even more striking example of Qianlong’s love
thus be reliably traced to the same model. Unfortunately, the of the pattern of aquatic creatures. In the first month of the
present location of the bronze original recorded in Xiqing gujian 41st year of his reign, Xining, the Changlu Salt Administrator
is unknown. Only bronze plates with similar aquatic creatures submitted a wood model for a jade dou for the emperor’s
are known, and they can be found in the Palace Museum and inspection through the eunuch Hu Shijie. Qianlong was
the Shanghai Museum collections. displeased with its decorative programme and expressly
ordered that it be replaced with that of the vase with aquatic
Qianlong had a lasting love of the past, but he only promoted
creatures carved in relief.
the production of archaistic jades in society at large during
the middle and late periods of his reign. This was related to However, we must note that Qianlong’s archaism was not
the appearance of certain new kinds of jade that he detested. a slavish adherence to classical forms. The imitations of
In the 39th year of his reign (1774), Qianlong criticised Zhou and Han vessels produced under his auspices still
the “wretched new forms of jade” in his writing, and later incorporated Qing dynasty carving techniques, and they were
proceeded to lodge repeated criticisms against other new- never subjected to the dyeing and artificial aging processes
fangled forms that he considered unacceptably vulgar for commonly used in forgeries of antique jades. The articulation

180 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比