Important rocher en jade céladon pâle et rouille Dynastie Qing, époque Qianlong (1736-1795)

habilement sculpté des deux côtés en haut et moyen relief d'un immortel dans une grotte au centre d'une montagne plantée de pins et parcourue de plusieurs grottes où cheminent des personnages, l'un sur le dos d'un animal, un pavillon au sommet, le revers sculpté d'un couple de daims sous les arbres, une grue en vol dans le ciel, la pierre d'une belle couleur céladon pâle parcourue d'inclusions rouille, socle en bois sculpté ajouré

Acquired in Hong Kong in 1956.

The boulder is in overall very good condition with the exception of a ca. 0.2 cm chip to the right hand of the figure standing on the lower right of the boulder. The actual color is a fraction more celadon, less pale, than the illustration would suggest in the catalogue.
"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 boulder is is notable for its large size and shape which the craftsman cleverly used to render a miniature idealised landscape incorporating into the design the natural features of the stone. The carving which is in varied and undercut relief is of such depth that it allows the stone to appear translucent in those areas where the carving is deepest. A technical challenge for the hardness of the material, the superb carving of this boulder underlines the technical accomplishments of the craftsmen.


The visual vocabulary on which these miniature landscapes were based incorporated many features of the natural world. Moreover, the many figures, creatures and plants depicted pertained to a system of design sustained by a complex concept of the universe and its auspicious phenomena, see Jessica Rawson, "The Auspicious Universe", in Jessica Rawson and Evelyn S. Rawski (eds.), China. The Three Emperors 1662 - 1795, London, 2005, pp. 358-361. It is quite likely that the Islands of the Immortals in the eastern sea inspired the representation of numerous carved jade mountains such as the present example.

After the pacification of Xinjiang in 1758, large resources of jade suddenly became available and the sourcing of jade in Hetian (Khotan) began on a large scale. It is during the reign of the Qianlong emperor that the carving of jade boulders into three-dimensional miniature landscapes first appeared as noted by Jessica Rawson, Jessica Rawson, ibid. p. 463. One of the finest of four very large carved jade boulders formerly in the Qing court collection was presented to the emperor in 1786 and inscribed the following year with a poem by the emporor praising the workmanship and quality of the stone, illustrated in Jessica Rawson and Evelyn S. Rawski (eds.), China. The Three Emperors 1662 - 1795, London, 2005, cat. no. 267.