QIANLONG FOUR-CHARACTER CARVED MARK WITHIN A SQUARE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

This fine, flawless vase of simple design, with its four-character Qianlong nian zhi mark, appears to be related to other small flawless rock crystal scholar's table articles produced by the Palace Workshops (Zaobanchu), including two plain cylindrical brush pots with similarly executed four-character Qianlong yuyong marks (made for the personal use of the Qianlong Emperor). One is published by G. Tsang and H. Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Oriental Ceramic Society, Hong Kong, 1986, pp. 156-7. no. 130, the other in The Literati Mode, Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1986, no. 115. Not only might these pieces have graced a desk or table in the imperial palace, but they are the types of pieces that might have been included in one of the Qianlong Emperor's treasure boxes. Other crystal table articles in the Qing court collection, Beijing, are illustrated in The Complete Treasures of the Palace Museum - Small Refined Articles of the Study, Shanghai, 2009, no. 92, a mountain-form brush rest; no. 266, two mountain-peaked seals; and no. 281, a square seal paste box.