Page 14 - Chiense jades Hong Kong Sothebys April 2017

Beasts of Antiquity
Important Jade
Animals from the
Chang Shou Studio
These thirty-five jade carvings from the Chang
Shou studio encapsulate the extraordinary
degree of quality achieved by artisans working
from this revered stone throughout China’s rich
dynastic history, providing a focused glimpse of
jade production in three key periods: the later
archaic era of the Han dynasty, represented
by an outstanding group of large jade animal
sculptures, endowed with supernatural powers;
the post-archaic golden age of jade carving in
the Song to Yuan dynasty, where jades served a
distinct utilitarian function, predominantly used
as accessories, through to the opulence of the
Qing dynasty, where new sources of raw material
enabled the creation of decorative tactile objects
or ‘playthings’ of jewellery quality for the elite. a heightened interest in the cult of immortality
The Han dynasty saw a heightened interest in the
representation of powerful mythical creatures
in durable materials such as stone and jade. In
distinct contrast to earlier jades, and pottery
figures of humans, animals and mythical beasts
mass-produced for tombs to provide support
in the afterlife, the function of these lifelike
sculptures made from durable materials appears
to have been for the present day, for use above
ground. Large stone figures of ferocious beasts
including lions, tigers and imaginary winged
figures were placed on the tomb avenues of
emperors, high-ranking officials and military
commanders, a tradition that flourished and
reached a peak during the Six Dynasties, when
immense fabulous beasts drawn from the
spiritual world were produced on a grand scale
outside the tombs near Nanjing. Simultaneously,
an artistic tradition of creating jade animals
of the highest quality flourished. However,
in contrast to the majority of earlier two-
dimensional jade carvings, made for the afterlife,
these figural sculptures were created in the round
as independent objects, not just as sumptuous
display items for the appreciation of the elite, but
also to provide the owner with a constant and
concrete realisation of the powerful supernatural
forces latent in the world around, to embody and
pacify the elemental and supernatural forces of
the living world.
Of all the animal sculptures produced in the Han
and Six Dynasties, the vast majority would have
been of ceramic, stone or bronze. Such works
created from jade, especially those of large size
and intricate naturalistic quality, would have been
reserved for the highest ranking and wealthiest
individuals in society, as jade of this quality was
such a rare and treasured commodity. Amidst
and a belief in the concept of an earthly paradise,
jade animal sculptures were now made for life,
not death, and transmitted down through the
generations. The five famous jade animals - a
bear, eagle, horse with winged immortal and two
mythical bixie – discovered at surface level in
Xianyang, near present-day Xian and the tomb
of the Western Han dynasty Emperor Yuandi
(r. 48-33 BC), may have been used to populate
miniature three-dimensional landscapes inside
temples, to create miniature paradises inside
temple structures that could be visited over
generations for ritual ceremonies (see Zhongguo
meishu quanji: Gongyi meishu bian [Complete
collection of Chinese art: Arts and crafts section],
vol. 9: Yuqi [Jade], Beijing, 1991, pls 168, 169, 171, rendering the musculature of the body and
173 and 174).
Only a small number of other jade animal
sculptures of this large size and exceptional
workmanship has been recorded, of which the
current sale includes five remarkable examples,
matching the quality of famous published
examples including a bixie and camel in the
National Palace Museum, Taipei. Other jade
animals of comparable stature and quality have
been preserved in a small number of private
collections, including those of Xu Hanqing, Sir
Joseph Hotung and Sze Yuan Tang.
The sensational naturalism and posture of the
Western Han bear offered in this sale as lot 3317
closely matches that on the famous jade bear
excavated at the tomb of Emperor Yuandi, ibid.,
pl. 169. They share several distinct features, both
exquisitely worked in the round and depicted in
a similar crouching pose, bristling with energy in
anticipation of impending movement, the gentle
lean of their bodies and curves of their heads
sensationally rendered through varying degrees
of tautness in the powerfully defined muscular
backs, heightened with naturalistic details, such
as the intricate incised lines that define their
furry bodies. The smooth polishing of the stone
on both, leaving a signature curve to the back
and revealing the lustrous quality of the stone, is
clearly apparent. Both sculptures are also marked
by the skilful utilisation of the latent patches of
russet in the stone to convey the natural variation
of colour on the body.
Lot 3305, the jade elephant, is another
extraordinary legacy of the Western Han dynasty.
Finely worked from similar translucent yellowish-
green stone as the bear, and sharing similar
stylistic features, especially the bold curves
prominent details conveyed through carefully
incised lines, it is clearly of the same period as
the bear, but of much greater size. No other
similar jade elephant of this stature is recorded,
but related representations in metalwork have
frequently been found, including a gilt-bronze
example recently excavated from the tomb of
Liu Fei, Prince of Jiangdu of the Western Han
Dynasty. The elephant was a relatively popular