- 51
Rare rhyton en jade céladon et rouille sculpté XVIIE-XVIIIE siècle
Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 EUR
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Description
- Jade
le corps de forme galbée sortant de la gueule ouverte d'un poisson-dragon formant le pied, finement sculpté en léger relief de double cordes nouées délimitant des cartouches rectangulaires abritant des vagues mouvementées stylisées, un chilong sinueux rampant vers le col cintré agrémenté de trois ruyi sculptés en relief
Provenance
Formerly in the collection of Mademoiselle Logé, Paris, 1918.
Exhibited
11ème Exposition retrospective d'Art Chinois. Jades et Pierres Dures de la Chine, Musée Cernuschi, Paris, 23 mars 1927, no. 1219.
Catalogue Note
The form of the present rhyton is based on traditional horn-shaped cups first introduced to the artistic repertoire in China during the Han dynasty as a jade rhyton jfound in the early Western Han dynasty tomb of the King of Nan Yue, near Guangzhou, illustrates, see Zhongguo meishu quanji, vol. 9, yuqi, Beijing, 1996, p. 52, cat. no. 153. The rediscovery of antiquity and the revival of archaic forms and designs is most evident in the arts from the Song dynasty onwards. Several jade rhytons attributed to the Song to Ming dynasties are known, compare, for example, one rhyton with a design of dragons similarly clambering across the body, included in the Exhibition of Chinese Jades, The Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1948, cat. no. 118, or another example formerly in the collection of the British Rail Pension Fund, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16th May 1989, lot 95.
While the basic form of these jade rhytons is similar, with a horn emerging from the mouth of a fabulous beast whose twisted neck and tail are turned back to form the stand and handle, there are slight variations in the rendering of the design. On the present rhyton, the neck of the horn narrows and is set with a rim almost like on a vase. The finely carved carved rope-design covers the body of the horn and appears to contain it. The sinuous dragons clambering around the vessel underline the organic feeling of the piece which elegantly curves and twists as it emerges out the gaping mouth of the horned beast. A white jade vessel from the Qing court collection with a similarly shaped neck but supported on the nose and the tusks of an elephant, is ilustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware, vol. III, Hong Kong, 2006, cat. no. 140.
While the basic form of these jade rhytons is similar, with a horn emerging from the mouth of a fabulous beast whose twisted neck and tail are turned back to form the stand and handle, there are slight variations in the rendering of the design. On the present rhyton, the neck of the horn narrows and is set with a rim almost like on a vase. The finely carved carved rope-design covers the body of the horn and appears to contain it. The sinuous dragons clambering around the vessel underline the organic feeling of the piece which elegantly curves and twists as it emerges out the gaping mouth of the horned beast. A white jade vessel from the Qing court collection with a similarly shaped neck but supported on the nose and the tusks of an elephant, is ilustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware, vol. III, Hong Kong, 2006, cat. no. 140.