A CELADON JADE BOULDER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the translucent greenish white stone of irregular form, carved and deeply undercut with a scholar standing outside his front door greeting a scholar and his attendant as they climb up a steep path through a rocky forested terrain with waterfalls, the reverse carved with jagged cliffs and lofty pine trees traversed by narrow sets of staircases, the stone of pale celadon tone with chalky-white inclusions

Chait Galleries, New York.
Christie's Hong Kong, 29^th May 2007, lot 1618.

Yongshougong, The Palace Museum Beijing 30th November – 21st December 2004.

A Romance with Jade, From the De An Tang Collection, Hong Kong, 2004, cat. no. 66.

There is a 3mm chip to the edge of one of the rocks on one of the narrow sides, but the overall condition is very good. The stone has a long natural vein on the right side that is incorporated into the carving.
"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 work is an example of a 'yushan' (jade mountain) where the jade boulder is elaborately carved to depict a hermit scene in the rugged mountains, home to Immortals and reclusive scholars.  These mountains, boldly and irregularly carved with rocky paths, waterfall, pine trees and vegetation, are often inhabited by tiny figures, exemplifying the concept of 'landscape in miniature.'  Compact and upright domed boulders depicting scholars or immortals ascending a path were popular during the Qianlong period, as they symbolised the ascending career of the scholar-literati within the civil service.  They also serve as vehicles for the scholar and connoisseur to be transported to their imaginary, distant realms.

Boulder mountains both testify the jade carvers' tremendous skills and reflect their reverence for the natural qualities of the stone. They were able to carve elaborate and lively tableaus within the confines of the boulder, keeping the silhouette intact while artistically manipulating the natural 'imperfections' of the stone to enhance the design. 

A jade boulder of similar size with immortals in a mountainscape from the British Rail Pension Fund was sold in these rooms, 16th May 1989, lot 97, another showing Shoulao travelling with an acolyte also in these rooms, 16th November 1989, lot 601, and one of celadon-green jade boulder in our New York rooms, 31^st March 2005, lot 58.  For two examples of jade mountains on a small scale with rugged outlines, depicting sages in a landscape with bridges, see The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taipei, 1997, pp. 132-133 and 146-147, nos. 36 and 42,