A white jade seal paste box and cover Yuwan seal mark and period of Qianlong

the albicant white stone with chalkier white inclusions interspersed throughout of cylindrical form,  the cover with a subtle round dome, the fitted box with a thin inner lip, carved in intaglio on the flat base with a four-character seal mark Qianlong yuwan ('For the personal delight of the Qianlong Emperor'), (fitted box)

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 21^st May 1987, lot 678.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 27^th October 1993, lot 541.
Collection of Robert Kleiner.

 

The overall condition is very good with only a few very minute nicks to the edge of the cover.
"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."

This seal-paste box and cover is remarkable for the purity of the stone which is of brilliant and translucent white colouration. The jade boulder for the box was carefully chosen possibly to create a sharp contrast with the deep vermillion paste it housed. The four-character Qianlong yuwan ('For the Personal Delight of the Qianlong Emperor') mark inscribed on the base confirms that the box was made for the use of the emperor who spent many hours in his private studio writing calligraphy or looking through his vast collection of paintings which he would then approve with his seal dipped in the paste. The mark also indicates that the vessel was used by Qianlong for his own enjoyment and delight, with yuwan ('for Imperial delight') being one of the highest designations along with yushang ('for Imperial appreciation') and yuyong ('for Imperial use'), all of which also designated personal use by the Emperor.

The present box is unusual for its finish as the interior of the box and cover are left unpolished. It has been carved and smoothed but not polished to match the exterior of the box. This finish possibly reflects the emperor's wish to enjoy the jade in its organic form. In its form and size the present box and cover is very similar to a plain covered box, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Masterworks of Chinese Jade in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1973, pl. 39, mounted in a peach-form gold box together with a smaller jade box. Compare another white jade seal-paste box carved with a lychee patterns, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, included in Ming Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, pl. 66. See also two closely related spinach green jade boxes and covers, illustrated in Chinese Jades: Archaic and Modern, London, 1977, pls. 221 and 222, in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

For a discussion of seal-paste boxes see Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 230, where the authors mention that the famous Ming dynasty literatus, influential in the development of seal carving, Wen Peng (1498-1573), wrote in his Yinzhang Jishu (Discussions of Seals), that the best seal-paste containers are porcelain or jade as they prevent the paste from spoiling.  Boxes made of metal such as gold and silver adulterate the paste after a time and are therefore not suitable. Porous materials such as soapstone need to be waxed so it does not absorb the oil in the paste. Tsang and Moss further mention ibid., p. 230, that from the Ming dynasty the demand for seal-paste and boxes was constant and that the size of the box depended on the size of the seal used.