AN IMPORTANT PALE CELADON JADE BRUSHPOT, BITONG QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of cylindrical shape and resting on five delicate bracket feet, the body subtly and skillfully carved around the exterior with an immortal in a windswept stance accompanied by three attendants, the group crossing a river and traversing craggy mountain paths, the immortal carrying a large peach while the attendants hold a lingzhi sprig, a narcissus, and a stalk of bamboo, their presence a modest part of the large and imposing landscape, accentuated with a pavilion in the distance and two large pine trees, the other side of the exterior imitating the high walls of a mountain enshrouded by mist, the stone of translucent and very even pale celadon tone, polished to a soft glow, carved silver-inlaid wood stand, the base of the brushpot and the stand both bearing the number 3267 in red ink  (2)

Collection of Heber R. Bishop (b. 1840 - d. 1902).
Thence by descent to the present owner.

The brushpot is in very good condition overall, with an even pale celadon tone throughout. There are some very minor areas of faint russet inclusions, all of which have been worked into the carving (see the tips of the lingzhi fungus held by an attendant, a small section of a boulder carved near the rim). Some faint white 'snowy' inclusions are also visible, and they enhance the brightness of the celadon color. There is a miniscule chip on the edge of the bamboo held by one of the attendants, approximately 1/8 inch wide. Two barely noticeable nicks near the pine tree, very shallow, and approximately six tiny shallow nicks on the foot ring near the feet, all representing old wear. There are also approximately three tiny nibbles on the edges of the relief-carved clouds below the rim. The original base is a separate piece of jade, of matching color and tone, set into the interior. The wood base is not original to the brushpot, though it is 18th/19th century. Five rectangular niches have been carved to the top to accommodate the feet of the brushpot. Two adjacent broken sections have been repaired. Approximately 3/4 inch of the reticulated side has broken and is now missing. Some wire inlay loose or missing.
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.

This superbly carved pale celadon jade brushpot epitomizes the best in 18th century Chinese jade carving, skillfully using the stone's translucency and even pale celadon-white color to depict an immortal and his attendants in a luminous landscape setting. Jade brushpots of this color and size are extremely rare due to the limited availability of the material. The quality of the stone as well as the carving may suggest that the piece was carved within the Imperial workshops in Beijing during the Qianlong period. By combining meticulously detailed elements, such as the pine trees, with the smooth and sparsely carved rocky mountains, the flawless beauty and luminosity of the light celadon-colored stone are accentuated.

A number of brushpots of pale celadon or white jade, similarly carved with figures holding auspicious objects wandering in landscape settings, are known from important museums and private collections; compare, for example, a smaller white jade brushpot in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 167; a slightly larger brushpot, from the collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27th November 2007, lot 1518; and a third example, carved from a slightly mottled celadon stone, previously from the collection of T.B. Kitson, sold in our London rooms, 30th May 1961, lot 447, and again at Christie's New York, 17th September 2008, lot 329. Compare also a white jade brushpot, but without feet, in the National Palace Museum, Taibei, included in the exhibition The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 60.

The present brushpot was acquired by Heber R. Bishop (1840-1902), a well-known banker, entrepreneur and philanthropist, who formed one of the most important early collections of Chinese jades in the second half of the 19th century. While the majority of his collection was bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1902, this brushpot remained in the family and was handed down from one generation to the next to the present owner. It will be offered at auction for the first time since it was acquired by Heber R. Bishop in the 19th century and is one of the few jade pieces from this important collection ever to be sold.