Lot Essay
The Imperial composition in five-character stanza expounds on hetian jade carved with a scene of jinshan, 'golden mountain', as depicted on one side of the plaque. The inscription can be translated as:
Created by water of the Hetian river,
and carved into Mt. Difu.
Draining from its lofty peak, a stream,
flowing water for ten-thousand li.
Pavilions in misty landscape,
permeated by a song in the distance.
Who can imitate this (carving),
a work exceeding the strict measures of Heaven?
Hetian is an alternative name for Khotan, located at the extreme west of Xinjiang, on the northern edge of the Kunlun Mountains. In the spirit of the text, Mt. Difu is allegorical to the imposing Kunlun heights, and imagery of this extreme western region is further enhanced by reference to an ancient tribe, Di Jian, who occupied upper reaches of the River Wei in Gansu province during the Shang dynasty.
(US$20,000-25,000)
Created by water of the Hetian river,
and carved into Mt. Difu.
Draining from its lofty peak, a stream,
flowing water for ten-thousand li.
Pavilions in misty landscape,
permeated by a song in the distance.
Who can imitate this (carving),
a work exceeding the strict measures of Heaven?
Hetian is an alternative name for Khotan, located at the extreme west of Xinjiang, on the northern edge of the Kunlun Mountains. In the spirit of the text, Mt. Difu is allegorical to the imposing Kunlun heights, and imagery of this extreme western region is further enhanced by reference to an ancient tribe, Di Jian, who occupied upper reaches of the River Wei in Gansu province during the Shang dynasty.
(US$20,000-25,000)