QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Bowls of this type, known as 'marriage' bowls were often presented as wedding gifts, as their carefully chosen auspicious decoration symbolised the joyful union of husband and wife. They were popular in the Qing dynasty, especially under the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The finely carved archaistic winged dragons convey a sense of strength and power.
Apart from its finely-carved auspicious decoration, the present marriage bowl is also notable for its thinly-carved lobed sides embellished with upright acanthus leaves and bud-form feet executed in the Mughal style. The Qianlong Emperor had a particular admiration for Mughal jades, which were sent as gifts and tribute from the West. This in turn, inspired the production of fine imperial Mughal-style jades during the Qianlong reign. It is unusual to find a combination of traditional Chinese motifs, such as the winged dragon-form handles, with Mughal-style form and foliate decoration. It is possible that this bowl represents an early period in jade carving inspired by Mughal originals.
Compare a white-jade marriage bowl with similarly-carved winged dragon-form handles, sold at Christie's London, 10 November 2015, lot 88; and a white jade marriage bowl also with winged dragon-form handles sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2938.