A CELADON AND RUSSET JADE VASE AND COVER

Details

A CELADON AND RUSSET JADE VASE AND COVER
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

Of flattened baluster form with an angled shoulder and a pair of tubular handles at the neck, the sides of the vase carved in high relief with twelve bats, highlighted by the mottled russet inclusions in the stone, in flight amidst billowing ruyi-shaped clouds, fitted with a stepped cover with an oval finial, the semi-translucent stone of a pale bluish celadon tone
8 1/4 in. (21 cm.) high, stand

Literature

Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 148

Exhibited

Christie's New York, 13-26 March 2001
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, August 2003 - December 2004

Lot Essay

The subject-matter of bats among clouds was a very popular one that is found on Chinese artworks in all types of medium. Bats, fu, are homophonous with the character for 'fortune', and therefore, a very auspicious symbol. On the present vase, the carver has cleverly utilised the russet-brown inclusions in the stone to highlight the bats.

For other related vases with high-relief carving around the body, see Jadeware (III), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 63, a vase encircled by dragons, and pl. 67, another covered vase with prunus branches.

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