A RARE ARCHAISTIC RUSSET JADE SHE-SHAPED PLAQUE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

deftly carved through the russet skin in low relief and openwork with a sinuous chilong dragon, writhing around the archaistic she-shaped plaque with a central opening, the stone of a pale celadon tone with natural veinings

Spink & Son Ltd, London.

Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 2002-13.

The Minor Arts of China: III, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1987, no. 151.

Across one section of the plaque is a long natural vein running carefully incorporated in the design. The overall condition is otherwise in overall good condition is only some minor surface wear and minute nicks to the extremities as can be expected. The actual colour of the jade is duller and tinged to celadon.
"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."

In form and design this piece is modelled after jade plaques produced during the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), such as one carved in openwork with a dragon and phoenix, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 130. Plaques of this type, which are believed to derive from jade archer’s rings, were already sought after by Song dynasty connoisseurs and they appear in treaties on antiquities, such as Zhu Derun’s Guyu tu (Pictures of Ancient Jades) from 1341. During the Qing dynasty, especially under the Qianlong Emperor, jade pieces that imitated Han dynasty wares proliferated, as they served not only as aesthetically pleasing objects but also as keepsakes of the glorious past.  

Three white jade plaques of this form and similarly carved in openwork with chilong, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, are illustrated in The Compendium of Collection in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 9, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pls. 236, 238 and 239, together with two other plaques, one decorated with phoenix and the other with clouds, pls. 237 and 240; and a smaller one was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th/30th October 2001, lot 721.