A PALE CELADON JADE CARVED PANEL QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of rectangular form, crisply depicted on one side with a dramatic mountainous landscape scene depicting Shoulao holding a long staff in one hand and a longevity peach in the other, escorted by two attendants, walking up a steep path towards a small pavilion, the mountain detailed with jagged rocks and twisted pine trees, the reverse carved with a deer hopping towards its mate grazing on the grassy slopes amidst a similar landscape, all under swirling misty clouds, the stone of an even white colour suffused with cloudy and light russet inclusions

Collection of Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt.

Daphne Lange Rosenzweig, The Yangtze River Collection: Later Chinese Jades, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1993, cat. no. 60.

Both sides of the panel are in good condition except for occasional expected minute nicks to the fragile extremities, including the wutong blossoms, the branches and the crevices of the boulders. There also also small areas of bruising to the edges and and minor polishing to areas of the extremities, particularly the front left corner.
"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 dramatic mountainous setting, with waterfall and trees and man-made structures such as walkways and pavilions, all combine to evoke a sense of depth and energy within the confines of the panel. The ingenuity of the carver is evident in the impeccable details and skilful incorporation of the stone’s natural inclusions into the composition, as seen in the rockwork on one side and the flowing water on the other. Table screens of this type, seldom made of jade prior to the reign of the Qianlong Emperor due to the rarity of the material, were fashioned from carefully chosen translucent stones that would enhance the carved pictorial scenes when light was shone through.

Considered the equivalent of paintings in stone, jade table screens depict scenes from classical literature, Daoist tales and idyllic moments in nature. The three figures featured on this panel depict the god of longevity, Shoulao, accompanied by his two acolytes. Compare a similar table screen in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition The Refined Taste of the Emperor. Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 72; one included in the exhibition Chinese Jade from Southern California Collections, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 1976, cat. no. 44;  another of slightly larger size originally from the collection of Mary Porter Walsh, included in the exhibition A Romance With Jade from the De An Tang Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 67; and a fourth in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, illustrated in James C.S. Lin, The Immortal Stone. Chinese Jades form the Neolithic Period to the Twentieth Century, London, 2009, pl. 87.