Bol impérial en jade blanc Chine, dynastie Qing, marque Qianlong Yuyong et époque Qianlong (1736-1795)

circulaire la lèvre évasée sur un petit pied droit, le contour ciselé d'un poème et daté Qianlong gui si xia yu ti  (1773), la base avec la marque incisée à quatre caractères Qianlong yuyong

a chip to the mouth rim (1 x 0,5cm), visible on the left image ; and a minute dent (visible on the right image), otherwise in good condition.
"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 bowl is inscribed with a poem by the Qianlong emperor, dated to the summer of 1773 A.D. and recorded in The Anthology of Imperial Qianlong Poems (Qing Gaozong Yuzhi Shiwen Quanji, Volume 6, Juan 15, P. 32, under the title Hetian yu wan (Jade Bowl from Hetian).

The perfectly balanced form and the exceptional quality of the stone make this bowl an outstanding piece. The finest jades in China have traditionally been mined from Hetian, located in the southwest of Xingjiang province of Northwest China. Hetian jade has a history of over 2000 years, recorded as early as the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC). Historically, it has been considered a priceless treasure, and jade of pure white colouration, such as the present piece, was especially highly prized and sought after.

This bowl is comparable with the fine white jade bowl of similar form and size, carved with the emperor's poem dated to the Spring of the yiwei year of his reign (equivalent to 1739 A.D.) and with a similar four-character Qianlong yuyong mark on the base, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 209.

A slightly smaller white jade bowl with an imperial poem dated to 1765 A.D., from the Elizabeth Parke Firestone collection, was sold at Christie's New York, 22^nd March 1991, lot 532, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 26^th October 2003, lot 33. Another Imperially inscribed and dated bowl was also sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 25^th April 2004, lot 51; and one carved with the emperor's poem Sanqing cha (Three Purities Tea) was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2^nd May 2005, lot 526, of slightly smaller dimensions.

See also a pair of white jade bowls in the British Museum, London, of related form and size to the present piece, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 400, pl. 29:13, where the author mentions that bowls of this type represented the highest quality of eating and drinking utensils and were made for the palace and the court. Rawson further notes, ibid., p. 400, that 'both the sumptuary laws, which restricted the use of jade vessels, and passages in novels that mention the use of jade cups and bowls for eating and drinking, make it evident that jade was highly valued and used for these purposes'.