Page 43 - Christie's London May 14, 2019 Important Chinese Jades

containing the son of the Dragon King in fsh form are seen quite frequently, be easily found in that area – specifcally that: ‘There is a jade river in Yutian
seated fgures of Guanyin, such as the current jade fgure, depicting her State. People fnd exquisite jade in the river whenever the moon shines at its
holding the ‘pearl of light’ are relatively rare. brightest.’ The town of Khotan was situated between two rivers – the Black
Jade River (Karakash) and the White Jade River (Kurungkash) into which jade
In triads, such as the 16th century bronze group sold by Christie’s New bearing boulders washed down from the Kunlun Mountains and could be
York on 26 March 2010, lot 1306, Guanyin is often fanked by Shancai and collected from the riverbeds.
Longnü, and Longnü holds the ‘pearl of light’. These two disciples became a
more popular subject in the 18th century and an 18th-19th century scroll of White nephrite jade and spinach green nephrite jade were both popular in the
some 29 folios, known as the Precious Scroll of Sudhana and Longnü (Shancai Qing period and, especially in the Qianlong reign, the two were sometimes
Longnü Baozhuan is devoted to the legends associated with them. combined in order to accentuate the visual qualities of one another. In the
case of the current fgure, the deep green stand serves to emphasise the
It is particularly appropriate that this fgure of Guanyin should be carved from whiteness of the jade used for the fgure of Guanyin. A similar use of the
delicate white jade, as white is not only a colour associated with Buddhism stones can be seen on an imperial Qianlong four-armed fgure of Sadaksari
and purity, it is also the colour in which Guanyin’s robes are traditionally in white jade, which has a double lotus stand of spinach jade. This fgure was
rendered in Chinese art. An excellent source of fne white nephrite jade, in sold by Sotheby’s New York, 19 March 2007, lot 58. A reversal of the colours
addition to spinach green and other jade colours, became available to the can be seen on an imperial Qianlong spinach green jade Buddha on a white
Chinese lapidaries in the mid-18th century during the reign of the Qianlong jade double lotus stand sold by Christie’s Hong Kong, 31 May 2010, lot 1967.
Emperor. Jade from Xinjiang became more readily accessible following the The complementary jade colours were also occasionally used on vessels – as
Qianlong Emperor’s military campaigns in the area during the 1750s, the fnal in the case of a fnely carved and pierced white jade rectangular tool vase on
defeat of the Dzungars in 1758, and the so-called ‘pacifcation’ of Xinjiang a spinach green jade stand from the personal collection of Alan and Simone
in 1759. These events provided China with renewed access to the famous Hartman, sold by Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1514. In each
Khotan (Yutian or Hetian in Chinese) jade, and it has been estimated that case the deep green serves to emphasise the ethereal quality of the white
from 1760 to the end of the Qianlong reign an average of about 2,000 kg. of jade, while the paleness of the white serves to accentuate the richness of the
jade was transported to Beijing each year, despite the fact that the journey spinach green.
from Xinjiang to Beijing covers some 3,000 miles.
The fne quality, size and delicacy of this lovely Guanyin fgure suggests that
Khotan was referred to as a source of precious jade in Chinese texts as early it was a highly personal piece, probably made to be placed on an altar in the
as the Western Han dynasty and it is mentioned by Sima Qian in his Shi Ji home of a pious and wealthy individual. There its owner would not only be
(Records of the Grand Historian). Khotanese jade is also mentioned in the Xin able to enjoy the beauty of the fgure, but would be able to make oferings
Tang Shu (New History of the Tang), in which it is stated that fne jade could and call upon the compassion of Guanyin at any time.

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