A RARE GREY AND RUSSET JADE 'LOTUS-LEAF' BRUSHWASHER

Details

A RARE GREY AND RUSSET JADE 'LOTUS-LEAF' BRUSHWASHER
MING DYNASTY, 15TH-17TH CENTURY

Superbly carved from a single flattened pebble, to represent a lotus leaf supported on a stalk, the leaf curving upwards and inwards to form the sides of the vessel and the curly edges the mouth rim, with the veins of the leaf naturalistically rendered in low relief, the semi-translucent stone of mottled grey tones suffused with areas of vivid russet splashes
3 1/2 in. (9 cm.) wide

Provenance

Max Loehr, New York

Literature

Roger Keverne (ed.), Jade, London, 1991, p. 144, figs. 39-40
Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 48

Exhibited

Christie's New York, 13-26 March 2001
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, August 2003 - December 2004

Lot Essay

This small brushwasher is sensitively worked. The carver has skilfully used the natural shape and colours of the pebble to achieve a powerful natural effect, while observing restraint in the overall composition. This pursuit of naturalism in the carving of jade objects, combined with detailed modelling, is characteristic of the Ming dynasty. Compare with a similar vessel illustrated by James Watt, Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, New York, 1980, p. 133, no. 110; and another lotus-leaf-shaped washer with a frog in the centre, from the Qing Court collection, illustrated in Jadeware (II), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 159.

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