A white jade 'phoenix' tripod incense burner and cover Qing dynasty, Qianlong – Jiaqing period | 清乾隆至嘉慶 白玉夔鳳紋三獸足朝冠耳蓋匲

The present piece embodies the brilliant creativity of Qing craftsmen in its combination of contemporary and archaic motifs. Continuing the Song tradition of reinterpreting large archaic ritual bronzes into relatively small jade vessels, this incense burner is carved in low relief with pairs of archaistic confronting phoenix. In response to the 'vulgarisation' of Chinese jade carving in the 18th century, that is carvings with excessively ornate designs, the Qianlong Emperor urged craftsmen to study antique vessels and illustrated woodblock prints, adapting them to the jade medium. This incense burner represents a brilliant reinterpretation of archaic bronze vessels and displays the antiquarian nature that characterises jade carvings of this period. 

While jade incense burners are often unique, their size and decoration depend entirely on the jade stone used to make them. The proportion of this piece, its form and motif are closely related to a white jade incense burner in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi qianji [Complete collection of Chinese jade], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 355. See also a jade incense burner of similar form and with strap handles, but decorated with raised bow strings on the body, also in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated ibid., pl. 347. Compare also a closely related white jade example, but with taotie design, from the collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2019, lot 135.

本品展現清朝藝匠超卓造詣，集時風與高古紋飾於一身。此爐承宋代傳統，以玉器仿古青銅禮器，器身浮雕夔鳳紋，風格擬古而藏新思。十八世紀，中國玉雕趨市俗化，風格及紋飾過於華麗繁密。因此之故，乾隆帝命製大量仿古玉器，並命工匠研習古物，冀復典雅。玉匠潛研宮藏古銅器，或木版摹圖，以玉仿製古器。此爐仿造古銅爐之造形與紋飾，乃此風之楷模。

玉爐多為獨一無二，尺寸紋飾應玉石而生，本品之大小、造形與飾紋，與北京故宮博物院藏白玉爐一例相近，圖載於《中國玉器全集》，卷6，石家莊，1993年，圖版355。另見一件玉爐，造形相似，飾繩耳，爐身飾凸弦紋，亦藏於北京故宮博物院，出處同上，圖版347。再見一相類白玉例，飾饕餮紋，為利國偉爵士收藏，後售於香港蘇富比2019年10月8日，編號135。