A FINELY CARVED AND INSCRIBED PALE CELADON JADE TABLE SCREEN

QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Details

A FINELY CARVED AND INSCRIBED PALE CELADON JADE TABLE SCREEN
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)
The panel is finely carved on one side with a mountainous landscape scene, detailed with tall trees, pavilions and a river stream passing under a bridge. There is a later-added inscription to the top right, entitled 'Yuzhi Hupao Quan shi', which may be translated as 'Imperial Poem of the Spring of Hupao'. The reverse side is decorated with flowering prunus branches, rocks and bamboo sprays. The stone is of a pale celadon tone, with minor areas of snowy and russet inclusions.
7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm.) wide, wood stand

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Lot Essay

The poetic inscription on this screen may be translated as:
'A spring is discovered in the gullies upstream, subtle as a gentleman and pure as an immortal.
With the exquisite tea leaves of Hangzhou, I collect the pine twigs and brew the spring tea.'
The spring of Hupao, located in the city of Hangzhou, is famous for the superior quality of its natural springwater. This spring is regarded as one of the best sources of water in China for brewing tea. The Qianlong Emperor visited Hupao several times during his Southern Inspections, and he composed this poem during one of his visits. Qianlong was not the only Qing emperor who composed poetry inspired by the beauty of Hupao. The Kangxi emperor had allegedly visited Hupao twice (the first time in 1689 and the second time in 1699) during his Southern Inspections, and had composed a poem dedicated to Hupao, entitled 'Hupao Qiyan Shi'.

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