QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Details

A RARE IMPERIAL STAINED IVORY DOUBLE WATER POT
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)
Finely carved as a side-by-side lily bulb and a persimmon with a wasp carved on one side, both hollow and spanned by a ribbon-tied ruyi sceptre carved as a gnarled stem of lingzhi, with traces of pink color on the persimmon
3½ in. (9 cm.) long

Provenance

Property of the late Miss A. Beasley; Sotheby's, London, 4 May 1984, lot 305 (part).

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

This charming and utilitarian carving would have been a fine addition to a scholar's desk. It is similar in conceit and execution to a similarly small (8.5 cm. long) double covered box, one half of which is carved in the shape of an orange with two bats on top, in the Qing Court collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 44 - Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, no. 168, where it is dated mid-Qing dynasty.

According to T.T. Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2006, p. 261, no. 9.8.3, the combination of persimmon, lily bulb and fungus form the rebus, "May one hundred things be as you wish".

More from For the Enjoyment of Scholars: Selections from the Robert H. Blumenfield Collection

View All