Page 154 - Bonhams Asian Art London November 5, 2020
P. 154

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           139 *                             140 *   Y
           A FINE AND RARE PALE GREEN JADE   A VERY FINE AND RARE WHITE JADE   In the present lot, the carver has made a
                                                                              joss-stick holder box and cover with a purely
           LOTUS AND CHILONG WATER DROPPER   ‘GUQIN’ JOSS-STICK HOLDER BOX
           18th century                      AND COVER                        literati subject-matter playing the guqin - a
           The jade pebble expertly hollowed and   Qianlong                   seven-stringed zither - is one of the four
           carved as a fleshy, curling lotus leaf with   Expertly carved as a guqin with four harmonic   accomplishments of the scholar. The other
           finely incised veins and undulating rim, borne   markers visible, and seven strings in relief,   three accomplishments being painting,
           on a curving lotus stem acting as a handle,   leading to a cloth cover with pierced roundels   weiqi, and calligraphy. Wrapped and ready
           the side of the leaf with a clambering chilong   and flowers to allow the smoke to rise, the   for excursion, the carver has cleverly pierced
           peering inside, the stone of even pale-green   interior of the box carved with an auspicious bat,   small apertures into the cover imitating
           tone, zitan wood stand.           and joss-stick holder on one end, the box raised   embroidered roundels of a cloth bag to allow
           10.7cm (4 1/8in) long. (2).       slightly on four bracket feet, hongmu stand.   the incense smoke to rise.
                                             19.2cm (7 1/2in) long (3).
           £8,000 - 12,000                                                    Compare with a related pale green jade box
                                                                              and cover in the form of a guqin, 18th century,
           CNY70,000 - 110,000               £6,000 - 8,000                   illustrated by R.Kleiner, Chinese Jades from
                                             CNY53,000 - 70,000               the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman,
           十八世紀 青白玉雕蓮葉式水滴                                                     Hong Kong, 1996, p.214, no.164. Compare
                                             清乾隆 白玉雕古琴型蓋盒                     also with a related white jade ‘Guqin’ paper
           Provenance: a Swiss private collection                             weight, early Qing dynasty, illustrated by
                                             Provenance: a Swiss private collection   G.Tsang and H.M.Moss, Arts from the
           來源:瑞士私人收藏                                                          Scholar’s Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p.237,
                                             來源:瑞士私人收藏                        no.226. Another related yellow jade paper
           Compare with two related white jade water                          weight in the form of a guqin, Qing dynasty,
           droppers in the form of lotus leaves, in the                       is illustrated in Small Refined Articles of the
           Qing Court Collection, Qing dynasty, illustrated                   Study: The Complete Collection of Treasures
           in Small Refined Articles of the Study: The                        of the Palace Museum, Shenzhen, 2009,
           Complete Collection of Treasures of the                            p.163, no.145.
           Palace Museum, Shenzhen, 2009, p.130,
           nos.101 and 102.                                                   See also a pale green jade ‘guqin’’ box and
                                                                              cover, Qianlong, which was sold at Christie’s
                                                                              London, 7 November 2014, lot 440.




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