Lot 137
  • 137

A RARE IMPERIAL JADE SUTRA BOOK QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 USD
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Description

  • jade
comprising six thinly sectioned rectangular celadon jade plaques, five inscribed in gilt lacquer with text from the sutra and one painted with stylized lotus scrolls to serve as the endleaf, all mounted in cardboard covered with yellow silk and accordion-bound between hardwood front and back covers carved in relief with a border of confronted scrolling kuilong, the front cover inlaid with a jade plaque incised and gilded with the name of the sutra Fo shuo jie de xiang jing, the pale olive-green stone with some veining and black and white inclusions

Provenance

Acquired in China prior to 1900, and thence by descent.

Condition

The wood cover has one chip and scattered nicks. There are minor age cracks. There is expected wear to the gilding. There is minor foxing to the textile borders. 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.
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.

Catalogue Note

The Foshuo jiedexiang jing sutra is a teaching on three types of fragrances in the world, the greatest being that which comes from Buddhist devotees of the Ten Good Deeds and aids achieve eternal peace and obtain unlimited wisdom. It is included in the Dacangling (Sanskrit Tripitaka) canon of religious discourse most highly regarded in Theravada Buddhism. The literal translation is ‘three baskets’ as the original writings were stored in baskets. The three elements of the canon are the Vinaya Pitaka, the disciplinary rules by which monks are expected to live their lives; the Sutta Pitaka, the discourses of the Buddha and other leading scholars of Buddhism; and the Abhidharma Pitaka, a series of philosophical discourses on the nature of the universe and Buddhist belief.

The Tripitaka was assembled shortly after the death of Gautama Buddha through a council of monks and the first Chinese version was made in the form of a woodblock during the Northern Song dynasty. In 1733, Yongzheng commenced an immense assignment to create a further woodblock copy to be made which was completed in the third year of Qianlong’s reign (1738). In total, 860 artisans, 60 scholars, officials and monks and 80 supervisors were involved in the production of this version, which was made of 1669 units and 7168 juan. 104 copies of the canon was initially printed with several more reprinted during the Qing dynasty to total 150 copies by the Republican Period.

Jade books demanded the finest craftsmanship due to the technicality of producing the thin sheets. See two small jade books of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, attributed to the Qianlong period, sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 14th November 1990, lot 405, and again, 11th April 2008, lot 2860; and the other sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 26th April 2004, lot 988, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1332.