A FINELY CARVED WHITE JADE TABLE SCREEN QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of rectangular shape with an arched top edge, deftly carved on one side with three sages crossing a sloped path amongst a mountainous setting, above two attendants on a small rocky bridge, a waterfall originating high in the mountain rushing down to dramatic cresting waves below the bridge, the landscape accentuated with craggy overhanging rocks, gnarled pine and paulownia trees, the far right of the scene with a pavilion set on a promontory, the reverse with a similarly mountainous backdrop, a rippling river winding through the lower section, with pine and paulownia trees issuing from the craggy riverbank, a deer lowers its head to the water while a stag observes from an elevated ledge, both animals with incised stars on their bodies, the stone of pale-celadon color with russet and white inclusions incorporated into the carving, carved openwork lacquered wood stand

A European private collection.
S. Marchant & Son, London.
Acquired from the above by the present owner, October 2006.

80th Anniversary Exhibition of Chinese Jades from Han to Qing, S. Marchant & Son, London, 2005, cat.no. 15, pp. 21-22 and detail image on front cover flap.

The screen is in very good condition overall with an even, rich tone and clever use of the russet inclusions of the stone.
"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."

Considered the equivalent of paintings in stone, jade table screens depict scenes from classical literature, Daoist tales and idyllic moments in nature. The three figures featured on this present example are very likely representations of the Three Star Gods (fulushou sanxing): fu symbolising the god of happiness, lu the god of emolument, and shou the god of longevity. Compare a spinach-green jade table screen with the same theme and inscribed with a poem on the subject, formerly in the collection of Robert Hanzel, Chicago, later sold in our these rooms, 19th November 1985, lot 50, belonging more recently to The Personal Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, sold recently at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th November 2006, lot 1365. Another screen with this theme, in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Edmund C. Converse, 1921, is illustrated in Magic, Art and Order. Jade in Chinese Culture, Palm Springs Desert Museum, 1990, no. 122, p. 18.

The dramatic mountainous setting with its attendant waterfall and trees, the use of upper and lower walkways, along with the distant pavilion, work together to evoke a sense of depth and incredible energy within this natural world. The cresting waves, though small in comparison to the craggy background and gnarled trees, confront the viewer head-on and immediately draw attention to the fine details of the carving. The russet inclusion incorporated into the path on which the three figures stand adds visual tension to the scene by enhancing the steepness of the mountain. Compare a vertically oriented screen carved with five figures in a mountainous setting, also employing the russet inclusions to accentuate the dramatic height of the mountains, illustrated in Yang Boda, A Romance with Jade from the De An Tang Collection, Beijing, 2004, no. 67, p. 120.

Another screen with three figures in a similar setting, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taipei, 1997, no. 71, pp. 204-205, also features the cresting waves to the lower section. However, its use of depth differs in that it prominently features a scrolling band of clouds to the top and right sections, thereby framing the mountains and setting them deeper into the landscape.

For examples of screens with similar arched top contours, see two in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taipei, 1997, nos. 64 and 70.