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Lot Essay
The theme of the carving on this brushpot is that of foreigners presenting tribute to the emperor, and the column of travellers has been very skilfully placed into the landscape so that they appear to be trekking through the mountains.
The theme of tribute bearers was a particularly popular one in the 18th century, and it is the subject of a number of court paintings, such as the anonymous hanging scroll Envoys from Vassal States and Foreign Countries Presenting Tribute to the Emperor, in the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures - Paintings by Court Artists of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 240-1, no. 64). On this scroll elephants are shown bearing some of these tribute gifts, including a vase, as is also depicted on the current jade brushpot.
Elephants as well were a popular theme in Chinese art, especially for the imperial court. They were not only included in carvings such as this for their symbolic significance, but because they were regarded as exotic, valuable and magnificent.
The word for elephant in Chinese is xiang, which can mean 'appearance', and which additionally sounds like a word meaning 'happiness'. Elephants also provide another message when combined with a precious vase. The word for vase in Chinese is ping, which sounds the same as the word for 'peace'. The combination of an elephant with a vase on its back thus suggests the phrase taiping youxiang, 'great peace in the world'. That message is re-emphasised by the inclusion of a saddle cloth, the word for which is an, sounding like another word for 'peace'. The inclusion of an elephant bearing a vase on its back was therefore a very appropriate symbol within these tribute scenes, offering as well a subtle compliment to the emperor, as a monarch who ruled over a peaceful empire.
See another important spinach green jade brushpot depicting a caparisoned elephant sold by Christie's London, 13 May 2008, lot 54
The theme of tribute bearers was a particularly popular one in the 18th century, and it is the subject of a number of court paintings, such as the anonymous hanging scroll Envoys from Vassal States and Foreign Countries Presenting Tribute to the Emperor, in the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures - Paintings by Court Artists of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 240-1, no. 64). On this scroll elephants are shown bearing some of these tribute gifts, including a vase, as is also depicted on the current jade brushpot.
Elephants as well were a popular theme in Chinese art, especially for the imperial court. They were not only included in carvings such as this for their symbolic significance, but because they were regarded as exotic, valuable and magnificent.
The word for elephant in Chinese is xiang, which can mean 'appearance', and which additionally sounds like a word meaning 'happiness'. Elephants also provide another message when combined with a precious vase. The word for vase in Chinese is ping, which sounds the same as the word for 'peace'. The combination of an elephant with a vase on its back thus suggests the phrase taiping youxiang, 'great peace in the world'. That message is re-emphasised by the inclusion of a saddle cloth, the word for which is an, sounding like another word for 'peace'. The inclusion of an elephant bearing a vase on its back was therefore a very appropriate symbol within these tribute scenes, offering as well a subtle compliment to the emperor, as a monarch who ruled over a peaceful empire.
See another important spinach green jade brushpot depicting a caparisoned elephant sold by Christie's London, 13 May 2008, lot 54