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This screen is notable for its depth of carving and detailing present day Xinjiang. Prior to the 24th year of the Qianlong
which enhances the translucent and luminous tone of the reign (1760), jade arrived at the imperial court in very small
spinach green jade stone. In its style and technique, it amounts. Yang Boda, in ‘The Glorious Age of Chinese Jade,
exempli es the imperial style of the 18th century, whereby the Jade, London, 1991, p. 146, notes that by the 6th year of the
Qianlong Emperor advocated that jade mountains and carved Qianlong reign (1742) only 10 pristine jade objects and 66
panels should carry the spirit of paintings by famous past jade fragments were in the imperial collection. Following the
masters. It is recorded that a number of classical paintings Western campaigns and subsequent abundant supply of
from the Emperor’s own collection were ordered to be uncarved jade, jade carving ourished throughout the empire.
reproduced in jade, such as the celebrated painting Travellers The Ruyi guan (Imperial Department for Production) began
in the Mountains, by the eminent Five Dynasties painter Guan recruiting skilled jade craftsmen, while at the same time it
Tong (907-960). continued to send uncarved jade to the eight departments
under the imperial court, the most important of which was
A scene from the life of the philosopher Laozi is depicted on Suzhou. Production was strictly controlled and each piece was
the present screen. During his emigration to the west and upon carefully selected before being displayed at court.
reaching the western frontier of the Zhou empire, Laozi was
intercepted by Yin Xi, Guardian of the Pass (Guanling Yin Xi). A slightly larger spinach-green jade screen, similarly carved
Here he was asked to write down his ideas, which resulted in with Laozi and Yin Xi, from the collections of Robert C. Bruce,
the rst manuscript of the Daode jing (Scripture of the Tao and Mrs Ian Beattie and Mr and Mrs Djahanguir Riahi, was sold in
its Virtue). Yin Xi was also later known as Weishi xiangshen our London rooms, 21st November 1961, lot 163, at Christie’s
(Master at the Beginning of the Scripture), and elevated to London, 3rd November 1969, lot 157, and most recently in
the celestial rank of Wushang zhenren (Highest Perfected), our Paris rooms, 22nd June 2017, lot 6 ( g. 1); and another
re ecting his mystical stature acquired following his encounter sold in these rooms, 10th November 1979, lot 251. A related
with Laozi (see Livia Kohn, ‘Yin Xi: The Master at the Beginning screen, allegedly from the Yuanmingyuan, Beijing, is published
of the Scripture’, Journal of Chinese Religion, vol. 25, 1997, in Geo rey Wills, Jade of the East, New York, 1972, pls 55-56.
issue 1, pp. 83-139). See also a jade boulder carved with this motif, from the Avery
Brundage collection in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco,
The skilfully carved scene, together with the ne quality of illustrated in M.Knight et. al., Chinese Jades: Ming Dynasty to
the stone, suggests that this screen was made after the Early Twentieth Century from the Asian Art Museum of San
Western campaigns that subjugated the Dzungars and secured Francisco, San Francisco, 2007, pl. 360.
control of the jade-rich territories of Khotan and Yarkand, in
60 SOTHEBY’S
