A CARVED SPINACH JADE DOUBLE-GOURD SHAPED BRUSHWASHER QING DYNASTY, LATE QIANLONG/JIAQING PERIOD

the green flecked stone well carved in the form of a fruiting double-gourd with further tendrils around the body bearing smaller gourds amongst foliage, scattered with butterflies, all upon a carved and pierced hardwood stand, similarly carved

The vessel is in good overall condition. There are small natural flaws to the jade and the colour of the jade is of a slightly darker spinach tone than the illustration suggests.
"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."

Carvings of washers of this double-gourd form can be found in many important collections; for example see one illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 100; another, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is included in Zhongguo yuqi quanji, vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 294; and a third example, in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, is published in Chinese Jades: Archaic and Modern, London, 1977, pl. 195.

Double-gourd shaped vessels were highly favoured for their reference to this many seeded fruit which in China is the symbol of fertility and abundance. Water vessels in this double-gourd shape were also made in other mediums; for example see a rhinoceros horn carving illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 59.