CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, XVIIÈME-XVIIIÈME SIÈCLE

This jade vessel derives its form and decorative vocabulary from the gong-shaped archaic bronze wine containers first produced during the second phase of the Anyang period, which gradually supplanted the earlier zoomorphic zun forms. Among the earliest known jade examples is a rhyton excavated from the tomb of the King of Nanyue in present-day Guangzhou, dating to circa 122 BC, published by Peter Lam in Jades from the Tomb of the King of Nanyue , Hong Kong, 1991, pl. D44. Jessica Rawson has proposed that the rhyton form may have entered the Chinese repertoire via cultural transmission from the West, likely through objects fashioned in silver or other precious materials; see Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 71.
The form experienced a significant revival during the Song dynasty, when antiquarian interests began to shape artistic production. This archaistic impulse reached new heights under the Qianlong emperor, who actively promoted the emulation of ancient forms and motifs as a means of cultivating refinement and moral virtue. In his view, turning to antiquity enabled artisans to imbue their creations with the qualities of simplicity, sincerity, and elegant restraint. The emperor’s vision of “restoring the ancient ways” encompassed values such as honesty, plainness, and a joyful exuberance of spirit; see Chang Li-tuan, The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1997, p. 49.
Archaistic jade rhyton cups carved with elephant-head terminals are exceedingly rare. A closely related example, a white jade rhyton vase and cover of similar form, measuring 21 cm in height, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware (III) , Hong Kong, 1995, p. 172, no. 140. See also a yellow jade rhyton vase, incised with a Qianlong mark, sold at Christie’s Paris, 12 December 2018, lot 116.