Page 17 - MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II
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614 The combination of peony and butterfies was a common theme in the
A WHITE JADE MARRIAGE BOWL Qing dynasty, but has been rarely depicted on marriage bowls. Peony,
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795) fuguihua, and butterfies, hudie, are homonyms for fudie fugui, which
translates to ‘may you have an accumulation of blessings, wealth, and high
The deep bowl is raised on a short splayed foot, and carved in low social status.’ These wishes for a fortuitous future are suitable for the vessel
relief on each side of the exterior with a large, leafy peony between which would have been given to a couple as a wedding gift.
smaller peonies mid-bloom between two butterfies in fight above
and chrysanthemum sprays below. The handles are well-carved A similar white jade marriage bowl, also dating to the 18th century and
as archaistic animal-masks and suspend loose rings. The semi- decorated with butterfies and peach from the personal collection of Alan
translucent stone is well-polished and has some areas of opaque white and Simone Hartman, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 November
inclusions. 2007, lot 1503. Another 18th century marriage bowl, but decorated with
7√ in. (20 cm.) wide across handles prunus rather than peony, was sold at Christie’s New York, 15 March
2015, lot 3032. Compare, also, the white jade marriage bowl carved on the
$150,000-250,000 exterior with lotus illustrated by Yang Boda, Romance with Jade: From the
De An Tang Collection, Hong Kong, 2004, p. 30, pl. 8.
PROVENANCE:
清乾隆 白玉福疊富貴活環耳盌
An important English collection, acquired between 1960 and 1970.
S. Marchant & Son, London, acquired in 2006.
The James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas, Texas.
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