Page 44 - Bonhams NYC Chinese works of Art March 2019

PROPERTY FROM THE HOBART COLLECTION
525 Y
A RARE ‘CHICKEN BONE’ JADE ‘TAOTIE’ CENSER AND COVER
Qianlong
Well carved with a bowl-shaped body surmounted by a waisted neck
and square-lipped rim, the sides finely carved in low relief with a band
of taotie masks, flanked by stylized mythical beast head handles,
the base carved with three mythical beast masks above three-toed
claws that appear to grasp the short, stepped foot ring, the domed
cover similarly carved with taotie masks and surmounted by a circular
openwork dragon finial, the opaque white stone with black veining.
7in (17.7cm) width (2).

$10,000 - 15,000

清乾隆 雞骨玉仿古饕餮紋蓋爐

Provenance:
Virginia Hobart (1876-1958), and thence by descent

Inspired by the shape and decoration of archaic bronze gui food
vessels of the Zhou dynasty, the present lot is a fine example of the
stylistic developments during the 18th century spurred on by the
directives of the Qianlong emperor. Aiming to ‘restore the ancient
ways’, the Qianlong emperor wished to reinstate the intrinsic qualities
of simplicity, sincerity and happy exuberance of the ancient cultures.
For this purpose, he instructed the court to collect drawings of
antiquities, such as the Xi Qing Gujian (Catalogue of Xiqing Antiquities),
which served as the blueprint for the designs of contemporary vessels.
See Chang Li-tuan, The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special
Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, Taipei,
1997, pp.49-50.

A related Qianlong period spinach jade censer and cover, was sold in
our London rooms, 11 May 2017, lot 237； and a chicken bone jade
example from the collection of Harold E. Stack was sold in our Hong
Kong rooms, 24 Nov 2012, lot 216.

42 | BONHAMS