A SUPERB AND RARE WHITE JADE 'DRAGON' BRUSHWASHER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of compressed ovoid form with broad rounded sides, brilliantly carved in high relief with five ferocious dragons each in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', their sinuous scaly bodies writhing in lively motion as they emerge out of dense swirling clouds and above a raging torrent of waves emanating from the centre of the base, the stone of an attractive celadon white tone with russet inclusions

Removed from the Yuanmingyuan, Beijing, 1860.
Spink and Son Ltd., 1923, lot 2659.

The washer is in extremely good condition overall. There are some dirt spots to the interior. There is some natural veining to the stone to the interior, and, as visible in the catalogue, there are russet inclusions to the base and reverse. The colour is slightly more celadon in 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."

The present washer is exceptional for its high relief carving depicting an unusually complex pattern. The workmanship is outstanding and the vessel is closely comparable with another washer made for the Imperial Court and still in Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji, vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 333.

Qianlong's imperial jade 'collection' surpassed that of any of his predecessors in quantity and quality. It is said that two-thirds of the more than thirty-thousand jade pieces in the Palace Museum today was acquired during his reign. His contribution to the improvement of jade crafting techniques and the connoisseurship of jades is undoubtedly remarkable. Qianlong insisted on examining every piece of jade presented to him and categorized them by shape, colour, quality and style. The dragon amidst dense clouds motif can be found on ceramic pieces made by Tang Ying, Superintendent at the Imperial Kilns at Jingdezhen, on Qianlong's orders. See a brushpot painted in sepia with this pattern, formerly from the J.M. Hu collection and now in the Art Gallery, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, illustrated in Peter Lam, Elegant Vessels from the Lofty Pavilion, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 14. Tang Ying's design was inspired by a painting attributed to the 14^th century monk painter Fachan Muqi. He closely followed the original iconography of the dragon found in this early religious painting.

For the prototype of this washer see an early Ming washer carved with three dragons amid clouds and swirling waves included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 122, cat.no. 89, where it is noted that the vessel is imperial and is based on a massive wine vessel with the same subject of the Yuan dynasty, now in Beijing. The Yuan vessel is mentioned by Yuan writers as one of the wonders of the Mongol Court. It was rescued by the Qianlong emperor from a temple where the monks used it as a vegetable container. See also a Kangxi spinach-green jade washer, sold in our London rooms, 10^th November 2004, lot 572, and again at Christie's Hong Kong, 29^th May 2007, lot 1401.