AN EXQUISITE MUGHAL-STYLE WHITE JADE CUP QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

the eight-lobed body resting on a splayed foot, set with a handle in the form of a small fruit suspending from curled leafy tendrils, the exterior delicately worked in low relief with upright leafy branches accentuating the curved form, the stone of a translucent white colour with icy-white striations

Collection of Marquis de Ganay.

In overall good condition. There is a small nick to the outer mouthrim where a small area of the mouthrim may have been polished.
"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."

Jade vessels carved in this florid style which originated in India in the Mughal period, were first introduced to China around the middle of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, and the emperor quickly grew very fond of them. The first Mughal jade bowl is recorded to have been sent from Central Asia as tribute in 1756, and thereafter tribute gifts of this type continued to arrive throughout the Qianlong’s reign and beyond. Concurrently, Moslem jade carvers were brought to the Palace Workshops to fashion similar wares and as early as 1764 exact copies were reproduced by Chinese craftsmen working at the court.

Compare two Mughal cups similarly modelled with one handle, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Exquisite Beauty. Islamic Jade, Taipei, 2012, cat. nos. 158 and 213, the former of a similar lobed shape but plain on the exterior, and the latter carved with a similar handle under the rim. See also another Mughal cup of this form and carved with a related design of leafy branches on the exterior, included ibid., cat. no. 62.