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拍品专文
The washer is exquisitely carved in the form of a large peach borne on a leafy branch that is carved in high relief across the base and around the sides to the rim, with bats flying atop clusters of leaves.
The present washer, exceptional for both its impressive size and superbly carved details, exemplifies the pinnacle of craftsmanship achieved by master jade carvers during the Qianlong reign. The decorative motifs of peaches and bats are rich in auspicious meaning. The peaches allude to extended longevity through their connection with Shoulao, the Star God of Longevity, while the bats function as rebus symbols for fu, signifying good fortune, and further denote the Five Blessings: longevity, health, wealth, virtue, and a peaceful passing.
Several jade washers of this design are documented, though they generally vary slightly in proportion. The present example is comparable to a similar washer from the Alan and Simone Hartman collection, illustrated in R. Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 107; a celadon jade example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, recorded in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, vol. 10, Beijing, 2011, p.244, no.193 (fig. 1); and another from the Alan and Simone Hartman collection, see Kleiner, op.cit., pl.92, sold at Christie’s New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1111.
The present washer, exceptional for both its impressive size and superbly carved details, exemplifies the pinnacle of craftsmanship achieved by master jade carvers during the Qianlong reign. The decorative motifs of peaches and bats are rich in auspicious meaning. The peaches allude to extended longevity through their connection with Shoulao, the Star God of Longevity, while the bats function as rebus symbols for fu, signifying good fortune, and further denote the Five Blessings: longevity, health, wealth, virtue, and a peaceful passing.
Several jade washers of this design are documented, though they generally vary slightly in proportion. The present example is comparable to a similar washer from the Alan and Simone Hartman collection, illustrated in R. Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 107; a celadon jade example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, recorded in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, vol. 10, Beijing, 2011, p.244, no.193 (fig. 1); and another from the Alan and Simone Hartman collection, see Kleiner, op.cit., pl.92, sold at Christie’s New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1111.