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A ZITAN AND WHITE JADE INLAID 'LONGEVITY' RUYI SCEPTER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 USD
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Description
the stem of the scepter gently curved and elaborately carved on the upper section with two cranes, the lower section with two deer, one grasping a lingzhi branch in its mouth, all amid pine trees, rocks and other vegetation, the center, tip and head set with Ming dynasty pierced white jade plaques carved with further cranes surrounded by large longevity peaches, the underside carved with a two-line poetic couplet and signed Wang Jie with two seals reading chen and Wang Jie
Condition
The jade plaques have been restuck, and the lower plaque with loss to one corner. There are scattered nicks to the extremeties of the jades. The head of the scepter has been broken and restuck. There are the expected age cracks to the lower section of the scepter.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The inscription may be translated as:
Made by imperial command
May happiness proliferate and your days on this earth extend
May the spring joy you feel be at one with nature
Respectfully inscribed by servant Wang Jie
According to the Zhongguo meishujia renming cidian, Shanghai Renmin Meishu Chubanshe, 2006, p.84, Wang Jie (1725-1805) was ranked first in the official examinations in the twenty-sixth year of Qianlong‘s reign (1761). According to Arthur W. Hummel, Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period, Taipei, 1970, p.75, Wang actually came in third, but because no one from Wang's home province of Shaanxi had ever come in first before, Qianlong ordered Wang to be ranked first. Wang also went by the names Weiren, Xingyuan, and Baochun. He was a respected calligrapher and served in the courts of both Qianlong and Jiaqing. In 1776 Wang was the Commissioner of Education in Zhejiang, and from 1787 till 1802, Wang served as Grand Secretary. In 1803 Wang retired and returned to Shaanxi. For his eightieth birthday in 1804, Jiaqing sent him numerous gifts, and in order to thank the emperor in person, Wang made the arduous trip to Beijing. Unfortunately, shortly after arriving in Beijing, he took ill and passed away in 1805.
The inscription on the scepter appears to be a birthday wish, and it is possible that Qianlong ordered the inscription in Wang's calligraphy carved onto the scepter as an official gift. We know that Qianlong admired Wang's calligraphy because there are examples of Wang's calligraphy in the Imperial collection. One example affixed with five of Qianlong's collector seals sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th November 2005, lot 123.
For an example of a similar Qianlong zitan and jade ruyi see Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 1999, lot 528.
Made by imperial command
May happiness proliferate and your days on this earth extend
May the spring joy you feel be at one with nature
Respectfully inscribed by servant Wang Jie
According to the Zhongguo meishujia renming cidian, Shanghai Renmin Meishu Chubanshe, 2006, p.84, Wang Jie (1725-1805) was ranked first in the official examinations in the twenty-sixth year of Qianlong‘s reign (1761). According to Arthur W. Hummel, Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period, Taipei, 1970, p.75, Wang actually came in third, but because no one from Wang's home province of Shaanxi had ever come in first before, Qianlong ordered Wang to be ranked first. Wang also went by the names Weiren, Xingyuan, and Baochun. He was a respected calligrapher and served in the courts of both Qianlong and Jiaqing. In 1776 Wang was the Commissioner of Education in Zhejiang, and from 1787 till 1802, Wang served as Grand Secretary. In 1803 Wang retired and returned to Shaanxi. For his eightieth birthday in 1804, Jiaqing sent him numerous gifts, and in order to thank the emperor in person, Wang made the arduous trip to Beijing. Unfortunately, shortly after arriving in Beijing, he took ill and passed away in 1805.
The inscription on the scepter appears to be a birthday wish, and it is possible that Qianlong ordered the inscription in Wang's calligraphy carved onto the scepter as an official gift. We know that Qianlong admired Wang's calligraphy because there are examples of Wang's calligraphy in the Imperial collection. One example affixed with five of Qianlong's collector seals sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th November 2005, lot 123.
For an example of a similar Qianlong zitan and jade ruyi see Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 1999, lot 528.