AN EXTREMELY RARE YELLOW JADE ARCHAISTIC WATER DROPPER QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the warm yellow stone highlighted with faint russet inclusions, deftly carved in the form of a mythical beast, the exterior with a pair of wings in the form of archaic bronze decorations, one side of the hollowed-out compressed globular vessel with an angular scroll handle issuing from an archaistic mythical beast's head on one side, the other with a protruding mythical beast with its mouth pierced through and a small cup positioned below the short flat pierced muzzle, all resting on a pair of legs tucked neatly beneath the vessel, the well fitted cover with a stepped circular finial

Christie’s New York, 3rd June 1988, lot 103.

The dropper is in very good condition with just expected minute nicks to the extremities, including the edges and of the handle, mouth and mythical beast's snout. The catalogue illustration is a tinge more yellow than the actual colour of the stone.
"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."

Modelled from a large and luminous yellow jade pebble, this charming waterdropper has been skilfully carved to capture both the robustness of its archaic roots and a sense of playfulness. Its form and surface decoration is unusual and reflects the Qing carvers' ability to reinterpret archaistic designs in order to suit contemporary taste.  While the globular body, animal-shaped feet and handle are reminiscent of archaic bronze wine vessels, he, produced during the Eastern Zhou dynasty, the spout, carved in the form of an animal tightly grasping onto a bowl, is inspired by bronze bixie-form waterdroppers from the Six Dynasties period, such as one from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Bronze Articles for Daily Use, Hong Kong, 2007, pl. 137.

Waterdroppers of this form are rare and no other closely related example appears to have been published. Compare a jade pouring vessel and cover fashioned with a bird-shaped spout, sold in our New York rooms, 23rd November 1976, lot 195. See also waterdroppers in the form of mythological animals, such as one from the Sir John Woolf collection, included in the exhibition The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, Sotheby’s, London, 2013, cat. no. 116; another sold in these rooms, 25th April 2004, lot 355.