AN IMPERIAL SPINACH-GREEN JADE DOUBLE CARVED SCREEN QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of circular form, meticulously carved on one side in varying levels of relief with a scene of a sage and his attendant conversing under a large overhanging tree in a rural landscape depicted with rocky cliffs and two small pavilions, the scene framed by rocks and clouds, the reverse with a large prunus tree with gnarled branches issuing prunus buds and blossoms, the stone of an even spinach-green colour mottled with faint white and dark inclusions, wood stand

In overall good condition. Minute nicks to the extremities as can be expected.
"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 screen is notable for its large size and intricately executed scene of two figures in a landscape and blossoming prunus tree on the reverse. Such circular screens would have been one of the tallest and most important objects on the scholars’ table. They were fashioned from carefully chosen stones which would enhance the differing depths of the carved pictorial scene while remaining unaffected by the motif on the reverse when light passed through. Idyllic scenes of figures wandering through vast landscapes often adorned the screens, serving not only as an aesthetically pleasing design but a means through which the viewer could be transported into the tranquil and harmonious landscape and escape the daily duties of officialdom.

A pair of white jade screens, carved on one side with figures in a rocky landscape and with deer and cranes on the reverse, is illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simon Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 123; one, the reverse carved with cranes in a landscape, from the Fryers collection of Chinese Art, was sold at Christie’s London, 15th May 2012, lot 10; another, of slightly smaller size, similarly decorated on one side with figures in a landscape and the reverse with a flower motif, in the De An Tang collection, was included in the exhibition  A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no.26; and a fourth screen was sold in these rooms, 18th May 1989, lot 794.  A spinach-jade example carved with figures in landscape and deer, in the collections of Sir John Buchanan-Jardine and Louis Joseph, was sold at Christie’s London, 16th December 1996, lot 139.

The reverse of the present screen is steeped in auspicious symbolism: the chrysanthemum and prunus blossoms bloom later in the year, while the evergreen bamboo bends in the wind without breaking. These three plants are thus symbolic of fortitude, uprightness in adverse condition and longevity. A similar composition is found on a pair of spinach-green jade screens in the De An Tang collection, included in the exhibition ibid., cat. no. 48.