Page 85 - Fine Chinese, Japanese and Buddhist Art September 28, 2018 Galerie Zacke

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A GREY AND BROWN ‘CRANE DRINKING FROM
WATERFALL’ JADE MOUNTAIN, 17TH CENTURY
Grey nephrite with white mottling and hues of dark brown.
Excellent surface polish and good patina.
China, 17 century
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Published: The Property of Mr Philip Cardeiro, Carol
Michaelson, Knapton Rasti Asian Art, London 2009, lot 66.

The mountain carved in deep relief and with neatly incised
details to depict a crane drinking from a waterfall arising
from craggy rocks. The crane is standing under a gnarled
pine tree while a second one is flying on top of the scene,
apparently preparing to land nearby. The backside shows
further layered rockwork.
Cranes are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There
are various myths involving them, and they are in general
symbolically connected with the idea of immortality.

Shape: Boulder
Dimensions: Height 17,8 cm
Weight: 1437 grams
Condition: Tiny chip to foot, some natural hairlines, overall
excellent condition
Provenance: The Philip Cardeiro collection of Chinese jade,
built from 1968 until the early 1990s, two labels to bottom

Auction results comparison: Chinese Ceramics, Works of
Art and Textiles. Christies, London, 12 November 2010, lot
67 1177. (for a celadon jade version of the subject, dating from
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A RUSSET SKIN PALE CELADON JADE ‘SCHOLAR’ BOULDER, QING from the Qing Court Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, depicting the 18 century) IMPORTANT CHINESE ART. Sotheby’s, 10
DYNASTY the Yongzheng Emperor in various guises Yinzhen at Play: Attacking a MAY 2017, LONDON, lot 273. (for a quite similar white jade
The nephrite of pale celadon color with some almost white areas. The Tiger with a Trident, illustrated in Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng version of the subject, here with both cranes drinking, from
magnificent russet skin masterfully used by the carver to enhance the Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, p.308, pl.II-111. See also the similar the Qianlong period)
dramaturgy of the depiction. Good surface finish and patina style of carving of the wutong leaves on a white and russet jade boulder,
China, 18 – 19 century Qing dynasty, imperially inscribed by the Qianlong Emperor, illustrated in IJĸᶾ䲨䀘䌱晽ȿẁ浜梚㱱ȿⰙ⫸
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Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 8 Qing Dynasty, 䀘刚␴䓘䌱炻ⷞ⛯⊣墸刚㰩炻堐朊䢐⃱列⤥炻⊭㻧⣑䃞ˤ
The boulder carved with a craggy mountain scape, the front depicting Beijing, 2010, no.120. ᷕ⚳炻IJĸᶾ䲨
a sage holding a staff crossing a stone bridge beneath an overhanging ↢䇰䈑烉䶐嘇ķķ炻őũŪŭŪűġńŢųťŦŪųŰ⃰䓇䍵啷⑩普炻ńŢųŰŭġ
wutong tree, accompanied by an attendant grasping a large lingzhi Auction results comparison: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. ŎŪŤũŢŦŭŴŰů叿炻ŌůŢűŵŰůġœŢŴŵŪṆ㳚喅埻⑩℔⎠↢䇰炻ΐ㔎炻ijııĺ
stem, the reverse similarly carved with dominating rocky cliffs and a crane Christies, London, 6 November 2012, lot 4. (for a celadon jade boulder ⸜ˤ
standing within the mountain crags. with a similar russet skin) Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. 忁ᾳ㶙怫㴖晽䘬Ⱉ⫸炻䳘兑䘬⏰䎦ẁ浜⛐㾹ⶫ㕩ẘ柕梚㯜䘬
The present jade boulder is exquisitely carved enabling the beholder Christies, Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 2963. (for an imperial 㧉㧋ˤᶨ晣ẁ浜䪁䩳叿炻侴⎎ᶨ晣梃佼ᾗ夾ˤ側朊⎗ẍ䚳⇘Ⰼ
to first appreciate the luminous quality of the celadon and white jade celadon jade rhyton with a similar russet skin) ⵺䔲⴪䘬檀Ⱉˤ
stone highlighted against the contrast of the russet-toned deftly carved ⛐ᷕ⚳䘬䤆娙ᷕ炻浜䓇攟㕤ẁ⠫Ȅ冯ẁṢ䁢⍳ˤ
mountains. A second look observes the graduated mountains geometrically 㶭ẋ曺䘥䌱ȿ㔯Ṣἵ侭ȿⰙ⫸ ⼊䉨烉Ⱉ⫸
yet naturally carved. The eye is then free to roam the scene of the two ␴䓘曺䘥䌱炻墸刚㰩炻堐朊⸛㹹䢐⃱炻⊭㻧列⤥ ⯢⮠烉IJĸįĹ⍀䰛
wanderers, which seem so minuscule yet peaceful in the tranquil mountain ᷕ⚳炻IJĹ军IJĺᶾ䲨 慵慷烉IJĵĴĸ⃳
landscape. The crane represents longevity and a crane standing alone can 晽ⶍ䳘兑䘬Ⱉ⫸ˤ㡏㟸㧡ᶳ䪁叿㉬叿㉸㛾䘬㔯Ṣ⍲℞ἵ侭炻塓Ⲷ⴯䘬Ⱉ ⑩䚠㤝⤥炻㚱ṃ姙檖䴚䕽嶉
also represent success in becoming a high government official. ⡩㇨䑘丆ˤ 伶⚳䞍⎵㓞啷⭞ńįőʼnŊōŊőġńłœŅņŊœŐ⃰䓇䍵啷⑩炻㕤IJĺķĹ⸜
The quality, imaginative design and technical virtuosity achieved by the 忁ᾳ䱦伶䘬Ⱉ⫸⯽䎦曺䘥䌱䘬⍇刚炻冯⢾⚵䘬墸刚㰩⏰䎦⮵㭼ˤ㔯Ṣ⍲℞ 军IJĺĺı⸜ẋ⣏慷㓞啷ᷕ⚳喅埻⑩ˤ
carver exemplifies the zenith of jade craftsmanship achieved by the jade ἵ侭檀晭⃒伶⛘㔋Ự⛐恋晐⼊侴晽䘬Ⱉ㜿ᷕˤ 栆Ụ㉵⑩烉ᶨẞ栆Ụ䘬曺䌱晽炻夳Ἓ⢓⼿˪ᷕ⚳䒟☐ˣⶍ喅⑩
ateliers during the 18 and earlier 19 century. This is made even more 䌱䞛䘬岒慷ˣ䓇≽䘬姕妰⍲䱦㸃䘬晽ⶍ䘮㚱㤝檀䘬㯜㸾炻⎗㍐㕟䁢IJĹᶾ䲨 ⍲䳉䷼⑩˫炻ΐ㔎炻ijıIJı⸜IJIJ㚰IJij㖍炻㉵⑩䶐嘇IJIJĸĸˤ⎎ᶨẞ䚠
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remarkable given the rarity of such extraordinary jade material, which only 军IJĺᶾ䲨⇅㛇䘬ἄ⑩ˤ忁柮Ⱉ⫸䘬⚈䁢℞䌱䞛㛸岒䌐䈡ˣⶍ㱽䲼䅇炻⎗㍐ Ụ䘬Ḧ昮㗪㛇䘥䌱晽暁浜梚㱱炻夳喯⭴㭼˪慵天ᷕ⚳喅埻䍵
became more available following the Qianlong Emperor’s conquest of the 㕟㗗䁢Ḯ慵天⟜⎰侴䈡⛘ㇻ忈䘬ˤ ⑩˫炻ΐ㔎炻ijıIJĸ⸜Ķ㚰IJı㖍炻㉵⑩䶐嘇ijĸĴˤ
Dzungar Khanate, now known as Xinjiang, between 1755 and 1759. The ⼊䉨烉䌱䞛Ⱉ⫸
rarity and jewel-like quality of the present jade boulder indicates it may ⯢⮠烉檀IJIJįij⍀䰛 EstimateġEUR 2.000,-
have been specially commissioned for an important occasion. 慵慷烉Ķĸı⃳ Starting price EUR 1.000,-
⑩䚠㤝Ἓ炻㚱冯⸜ẋ䚠䫎䘬ṃ姙䢐㒎
Shape: Boulder 劙⚳䥩Ṣ㓞啷
Dimensions: Height 11.2 cm 㔯䌣⍫侫烉ᶨẞ䚠Ụ晽Ⱉ⫸䘬ἄ⑩炻⎗⍫侫˪㓭⭓⌂䈑昊啷㔯䈑䍵⑩ℐ
Weight: 570 grams 普烉䌱☐ĩᷕĪ˫炻ᶲ㴟炻ijııĹ⸜炻䶐嘇Ķijˤ⎎ᶨẞἄ⑩⎗⍫侫⎘⊿㓭⭖⌂
Condition: Excellent condition with some traces of wear as expected on a 䈑昊˪㶭ᶾ⬿晵㬋㔯䈑⣏⯽˫炻⎘⊿炻ijııĺ⸜炻䫔ĴıĹ枩炻⚾䇰IJIJIJˤ䚠Ụ
jade of this age 䘬曺䘥䌱墸刚㰩Ⱉ⫸晽㡏㟸㧡⎗⍫侫˪㓭⭓⌂䈑昊啷⑩⣏䲣烉䌱☐ĩℓĪ㶭
Provenance: United Kingdom private collection ẋ˫炻⊿Ṕ炻ijıIJı⸜炻䶐嘇IJijıˤ
栆Ụ㉵⑩烉ᶨẞ曺䘥䌱墸刚㰩晽Ⱉ⫸炻⍫侫Ἓ⢓⼿˪ᷕ⚳䒟☐⍲ⶍ喅䱦
Literature comparison: Similar workmanship, particularly evident in the ⑩˫炻ΐ㔎炻ijıIJij⸜IJIJ㚰ķ㖍炻䈑⑩䶐嘇ĵˤ⎎ᶨẞ⽉墥曺䘥䌱Ⱉ⫸炻⍫侫
distinct sharp contours and manner of execution of the mountains, can Ἓ⢓⼿˪慵天ᷕ⚳䒟☐冯ⶍ喅䱦⑩˫炻楁㷗炻ijıIJIJ⸜IJIJ㚰Ĵı㖍炻䈑⑩䶐嘇
be seen on an Imperially-inscribed pale green and russet jade boulder, ijĺķĴˤ
Qing dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware II, Shanghai, 2008, EstimateġEUR 1.500,-
no.52; compare also the jagged rockwork on the Qing Court painting Starting price EUR 750,-

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