A Large Spinach Jade Marriage Bowl Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period

of shallow form, the flared sides rising from four feet and carved in relief with the bajixiang, with two ruyi-head handles enclosing lotus blossom sprays, each suspending loose rings, the interior carved with a luxurious lotus spray medallion, the dark-green stone mottled with pale and darker flecks

Christie's London, 16th March 1964, lot 70.

There are some minor nicks along the edges of the flower handles and the central floret. Some tiny areas, one dent near the base, and some surfaces of the rim where the grains of the jade are concentrated appear to have been filled in with a glue-like substance as if to stabilize the jade.
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.

Marriage bowls, sometimes referred to as water basins or brushwashers, were popular during the Qing period. They are often decorated with auspicious motifs, such as a pair of carp to symbolize the joys of union. This present vessel, with the eight Buddhist emblems on the exterior and the lotus bloom in the well, is rare among this genre. The interior can be compared to a handleless jade bowl also with a crisply carved, though relatively simplified lotus blossom exposing the heart, sold at Christie's Los Angeles, 20th May 1998, lot 175.

A larger example of similarly colored jade, in the National Museum of History, Taiwan, is illustrated in Jade: Ch'ing Dynasty Treasures, Taipei, 1997, pl. 56. Compare an example with the aforementioned carp motif, sold at Parke-Bernet Galleries, 27th April 1967, lot 81; and another with chrysanthemum decoration to the interior, illustrated in Rene-Yvon Lefebvre d'Argence, Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, Japan, 1977, pl. LXII.