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Lot Essay
The present vessel reflects the Qianlong court's fascination with archaism and its reinterpretation of ancient ritual bronzes in precious materials. Its form is derived from the archaic bronze jia, a tripod wine vessel used in ritual ceremonies during the Shang dynasty. Rather than reproducing an ancient bronze literally, the Qing craftsman has transformed the prototype into an elegant jade vessel, retaining the characteristic tripod form and twin posts while enriching it with archaistic decoration.
The body is carved in low relief with bands of stylised archaistic motifs, while the three elongated blade-form legs emerge from prominent animal masks, a feature derived from the zoomorphic vocabulary of ancient bronzes. The animal-headed handle and tall capped posts further emphasise the archaistic character of the vessel. Such reinterpretations of ancient bronze forms were particularly favoured during the Qianlong reign, reflecting the Emperor's celebrated interest in antiquity and the imperial collections of archaic bronzes.
A closely related, though larger, creamy greyish-white and pale brown jade jia, similarly based on a Shang bronze prototype and carved with taotie masks above three tall blade-form legs, was in the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection and sold at Christie's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 822. Measuring 27.9 cm high, it also features an animal-head handle and capped posts and provides a particularly close comparison for the present vessel. Also see a smaller jade jia, 17.3 cm high, formerly in the Pierre de Menasce Collection, exhibited in Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, London, 1975, no. 444.
The body is carved in low relief with bands of stylised archaistic motifs, while the three elongated blade-form legs emerge from prominent animal masks, a feature derived from the zoomorphic vocabulary of ancient bronzes. The animal-headed handle and tall capped posts further emphasise the archaistic character of the vessel. Such reinterpretations of ancient bronze forms were particularly favoured during the Qianlong reign, reflecting the Emperor's celebrated interest in antiquity and the imperial collections of archaic bronzes.
A closely related, though larger, creamy greyish-white and pale brown jade jia, similarly based on a Shang bronze prototype and carved with taotie masks above three tall blade-form legs, was in the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection and sold at Christie's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 822. Measuring 27.9 cm high, it also features an animal-head handle and capped posts and provides a particularly close comparison for the present vessel. Also see a smaller jade jia, 17.3 cm high, formerly in the Pierre de Menasce Collection, exhibited in Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, London, 1975, no. 444.