Rare grand rhyton en jade blanc et rouille Dynastie Qing, époque Qianlong

l'extérieur finement sculpté en bas-relief d'un phénix stylisé archaïsant, détaillé de volutes, billes et hachures, les longues plumes ondoyantes aux contours soulignés d'une double ligne déployées vers l'arrière et le bord ondulé, la partie supérieure décorée d'une bande de volutes archaïsantes délimitée par une frise de grecques et une cordelette torsadée, la pierre blanche traversée de veines naturelles et rehaussée de belles inclusions rouille

Acquired in China between 1894 and 1922.
Thence in the family by descent.

There are several long fissures/natural veins running down in slightly curved and zagged lines into the stone and some across. Three of these extend from the rim into the sides almost until the base, one of them forking out and forming an inverted Y with a small pronged end of lines towards the base. These three fissures/natural veins appear to be more pronounced, one of the has a small, ca. 1cm long and 0.2cm wide chip extending from the inside rim into the fissure and appears to have been filled-in in the past. Some of the fissures/natural veins have been incorporated into the lines of the carved design. The russet-stains on the exterior of the vase appear to cover areas in the stone, where the stone is slightly denser and not as clean as on the rest of the vessel, particularly at the rear end of the base. The vessel is well-hollowed yet quite heavy in weight. There is a yellow paper label inscribed in black ink with the characters yi bai qi shi qi hao (number 177) on the inside of the vessel near the rim. The stone is of an even tone with just a hint of celadon and has been polished to a soft glow.
"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 jade vessel is known as a gong named after an archaic bronze covered pouring vessel of similar shape that flourished in the Western Zhou period. In its shape it is also related to another type of libation vessel known as rhyton illustrated by lot 92.

Encouraged by the Qianlong emperors passion for archaic jades and bronzes, Qing craftsmen began to look at the past for inspiration and adapt the forms and designs of archaic jades and bronzes into their pieces. While the present lot is based on the archaic bronze model, the design that embellishes the exterior is firmly based in the 18th century depicting a highly stylised phoenix unfolding across the surface thus distinguishing it from other jade vessels of this form that are more commonly decorated with stylised archaic designs of taotie and cicada leaves.

It is also very unusual for its large size and the quality of the stone. Several smaller examples from the collection of the Qianlong emperor have survived and are illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 42, Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, nos. 135, 136, 139. However, it is closest in form to two jade libation cups similarly carved following the natural form of the jade pebble and both inscribed with a poem by the Qianlong emperor praising the stone's quality and the archaistic style of the design, one sold at Sotheby's Paris, 9th June 2011, lot 23, the second at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th October 1995, lot 905.