A FINELY CARVED WHITE JADE SQUARE ZHADOU QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the translucent white stone finely worked with a compressed globular body surmounted by a flared neck, all resting on a short splayed galleried foot

The zhadou is in overall good condition except minute nicks to the mouthrim, the largest measuring 0.2 cm. long. The actual colour of the stone is similar to the catalogue illustraion.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This piece is remarkable for the luminous colour of the stone, which has been skillfully finished to a lustrous polish. The craftsman has chosen to omit surface decoration in order to draw further attention to the high quality of the jade stone. Zhadou, or leys jars, appear to derive from archaic bronze wine vessels, zun, produced during the late Shang (c. 1600-1050 BC) and early Western Zhou (c. 1050-771 BC) period. The original beaker form evolved over the centuries, as seen in the wider flaring mouth and more compressed body.

Zhadou of square form and undecorated are unusual and are more commonly known carved with archaistic motifs, such as one sold in our New York rooms, 27th February 1981, lot 427. Compare also a zhadou of globular shape in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, illustrated in James C.S. Lin, The Immortal Stone. Chinese Jades from the Neolithic Period to the Twentieth Century, London, 2009, pl. 62; another, in the Wideland collection, included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 222; and two in the Palace Museum, Beijing, the first carved with dragon roundels, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 194, and the second, with taotie, published in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 10, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 208.