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PROPERTY FROM THE V.W.S. COLLECTIONForce of the Sky and Spirit of the Earth: Jade Carvings from the Qianlong Reign山川白虹 – 論乾隆時期玉器Recognised for its extraordinary strength and natural beauty, nephrite jade has been appreciated by different peoples around the world, including the Māori in New Zealand and the Maya of Mesoamerica. However, the longstanding and widespread reverence for jade in China – from the earliest signs of civilisation in the Neolithic period (ca. 6,000 to 2,000 BC) to modern society today – is unparalleled in any other culture. In ancient times, jade symbolised immortality and spirituality; over the centuries, jade came to signify important moral values which have become fundamental to Chinese culture and identity. Confucius (551-479 BC) famously compared the characteristics of a virtuous gentleman to the qualities of jade. When asked by his pupil Zigong (520-456 BC) about why jade was highly valued, Confucius explained that jade embodies eleven virtues: benevolence, wisdom, righteousness, courtesy, music, loyalty, faith, force (qi) of the sky, spirit of the earth, virtue and the Way (dao). In the early Chinese dictionary Shuowen Jiezi (An Explication of Written Characters) compiled by Xu Shen of the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD), the virtue of jade is described in five attributes: benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, courage and purity. A heavily cited publication, Shuowen Jiezi can be credited for popularising the conception of Five Virtues of Jade.In the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Manchu rulers continued China’s age-old tradition of utilising jade in ritual ceremonies. Jade seals were used for imperial decrees and orders, reflecting the high status attributed to this material. Jade pervaded material culture of the Qing court and aristocratic households, being used as dress ornaments, scholarly objects, ritual implements, votive objects, furniture, utilitarian vessels as well as other decorative items. The art of jade carving reached new heights during the prosperous Qianlong period (1736-1795), when sources of jade in Khotan (Hetian) became available after successful military conquest of the region in the 1750s. While nephrite jade of various colours and superior quality was already available in China prior to this, Khotan now offered the Qianlong court large pieces of jade boulders on an unprecedented scale. Every year from 1760 onwards, around 2,000 kilograms of jade were sent as tribute gifts to the Qianlong court (Qi Meiqin, Qingdai Neiwufu, Shenyang, 2008, 127; quoted by Nicole Chiang, Emperor Qianlong’s Hidden Treasures: Reconsidering the Collection of the Qing Imperial Household, Hong Kong, 2019, p.29). Jade colours range from pale creamy white (described as ‘mutton fat’), pale celadon, yellow and dark green, to brown, grey and black. White Khotan jades are one of the most famous varieties of jade, as the pale colour is seen as the perfect match for the smooth, glossy shine of the stone. The large white or very pale celadon jade vessels in the present collection certainly exemplify this. The Qianlong Emperor often lauded Khotan jades in the large number of poems he composed in his lifetime; among them, about 800 refer to jades (He Li, ‘Chinese Jade Art in the Ming and Qing Dynasties’, in Later Chinese Jades: Ming Dynasty to Early Twentieth Century from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, 2007, p. 22).While white jade was celebrated by the Qianlong court, yellow jade was also highly regarded for its appealing tone. In fact, yellow jade has arguably been more widely and consistently appreciated by Chinese connoisseurs over the centuries. The Ming writer Gao Lian (1573-1620) clearly stated in Yanxian Qingshang Jian (Notes on Refined Enjoyment of Elegant Leisure) that yellow jades are rarer and more precious than white jades, declaring that even ‘mutton fat’ white jades come second after yellow jades with a mellow tone. It is hence exceptional that a number of finely carved yellow jades are present in this collection (lots 533 to 537 and 615). One is a rare yellow jade carving of a coiled camel (lot 533), expertly manipulated by the lapidary to mimic the natural form of the animal. Camels were crucial in providing a means of transport along historic overland trade routes, carrying Chinese goods that included jades. They were also used to transport raw jades to Beijing. Earlier examples of jade camels were certainly known to and admired by the Qianlong Emperor. For example, a jade carving of a recumbent camel dated to the late Western Han to Eastern Han period (73 BC – 220 AD) is in the National Palace Museum in Taipei (illustrated in Art in Quest of Heaven and Truth, Taipei, 2011, no. 5-4-12). Its mane, tail and fur around the humps are depicted with fine incisions. The base of the carving is inscribed with an imperial poem composed by the Qianlong Emperor, and the accompanying wood stand also bears the same poem on its base. This four-line poem describes the intriguing pose of the camel and mentions historical figures who rode camels during notable events.The Qianlong court’s fondness of historical references and antiquarianism is also reflected in the large number of archaistic jade vessels commissioned and produced under the emperor’s close supervision. Apart from increased access to Khotan jades, significant advancements in jade cutting techniques also meant that jade carvings with a wider variety of forms, designs and functions could be produced more efficiently in the palace workshops. Earlier prototypes could be easily copied with less technical challenges in shaping the stone. The Xiqing Gujian (Illustrated Catalogue of Xiqing Antiquities), a comprehensive catalogue published in 1755 to document ancient bronzes in the Qianlong court collection, provided models for the creation of archaistic jades. The recorded bronzes include an impressive total of 1,436 ritual vessels and 93 mirrors. Textual records show that jade artisans copied many of the bronze forms illustrated in this catalogue, following the orders of the Qianlong Emperor. Many extant gong vessels – both bronze prototypes and later jade reinventions – no longer have their original covers. It is thus particularly rare that the yellow jade gong vessel has retained its cover (lot 535). The elegant, elongated and flattened body of this gong vessel is largely left uncarved to showcase the lustrous colour and texture of the natural stone. The phoenix, pine (signifying longevity) and kui dragons adorning its sides, handle and finial add auspiciousness to the finished carving.Many other jade vessels are also lavishly embellished with auspicious symbols. Take for instance the marriage bowl (lot 561), which not only functions as a washer but also serves an auspicious purpose as a marriage gift. A double xi (happiness) character is expertly carved and reticulated across the top of the bowl, shaped in the form of a pendant with tassels. One side of the mouth rim on this bowl is detailed with a musical chime; the word for chime in Chinese, qing, provides the homophone for the word for celebration, qing. The handles of the bowl are shaped as lingzhi sprays, symbolising ‘fulfilled wishes’. The lian vessel (lot 555) is also decorated with lingzhi sprays which surround the finial of its cover. Bands of ruyi heads, which symbolise ‘fulfilled wishes’ as well, encircle the vessel and cover. The top of the finial bears a stylised shou (longevity) character, making this a suitable birthday gift. The jade lian vessel, which was used as a cosmetic box or censer, is mentioned in poetry of the Tang (618-907) to Qing dynasties, featuring at least four times in the works of the Song poet Qin Guan (1049-1100). Qin Guan was a disciple of the great scholar Su Shi (1037-1101) and was active in the Jiangsu region, where historic centres of jade production – such as Yangzhou and Suzhou – created masterpieces that entered elitist households as well as the imperial court. Two jade lian vessels are now in the Beijing Palace Museum Collection (illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum – 42 – Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, nos. 197 and 198).Qing jade carvings often adopted religious subjects and motifs too. As the Qing empire stretched over vast territories with different ethnic groups, religions and ideologies, the Qianlong Emperor ruled over a diverse and multicultural domain. The state religion of the Qing court was Tibetan Buddhism, hence many bronze Buddhist sculptures were produced. The Qianlong Emperor himself was a devout Tibetan Buddhist and practiced meditation. The jade Buddha (lot 543), dated to the 18th to 19th century, depicts Shakyamuni seated in the meditation pose, dhyanasana, with his hands held in dhyanamudra. It is likely that this carving is based on a bronze prototype. Other examples of mid-Qing dynasty Buddhist sculpture rendered in jade include a white jade seated Buddha in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing (illustrated by Yang Boda in Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages, vol. 12, Hong Kong, 1997, no. 103). In addition to Buddhist iconography, Daoist imagery also frequently appeared in the arts of the Qing. The white jade box and cover (lot 562) is decorated with the Eight Daoist Immortals, who represent some of the most popular figures in Daoist myths and legends. Each side of the box is skilfully worked to achieve a smooth, flat surface, with two of the eight immortals carefully carved out in low relief. The immortals can all be easily identified – Lu Dongbin with a sword on his back, Zhong Liquan holding a fan, He Xiangu holding a lotus flower, Li Tieguai with his iron crutch and a hulu bottle, Han Xiangzi playing his flute, Zhang Guolao carrying a fish drum, Cao Guojiu holding clappers and Lan Caihe crouching next to his basket of flowers.This remarkable collection showcases the wide range of colours, forms, designs and subjects of jade carvings from the mid-Qing period, providing a unique glimpse into the splendour of jade art in China. The production of jade carvings evidently reached its apogee under the patronage of the Qianlong court, prompted by the emperor’s passion for the subject.

PETIT POT À PINCEAUX EN JADE BLANC

CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, XVIIIÈME-XIXÈME SIÈCLE

Details

PETIT POT À PINCEAUX EN JADE BLANC
CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, XVIIIÈME-XIXÈME SIÈCLE
De section quadrangulaire, ses faces sont très délicatement gravées de pivoines, prunus, lotus et bambous parmi les branchages.
Hauteur : 9,8 cm. (3 7/8 in.)

Provenance

Acquired by the father of V.W.S. (1890-1977) in China in the 1930s.
The V.W.S. (1918-1974) Collection.

Further details

A SMALL WHITE JADE SQUARE BRUSH POT
CHINA, QING DYNASTY, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

Conditions of sale

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