A WHITE JADE VASE AND COVER QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

of flattened ovoid form with rounded shoulders rising from a rectangular stepped foot, the waisted neck flanked by a pair of animal masks, supporting loose ring handles, the front and back carved in low relief with a central band of stylised taotie on a key-fret ground, with a band of archaic leaves and key-fret above the foot and a band of archaistic dragons on a key-fret ground at the shoulder, a further band of key-fret below the rim, the tapered cover with a rectangular chamfered finial, the stone of an even white to pale celadon tone

T.Y. King, Shanghai.
Bluett & Son, London, 1st November 1954 (£295).

This vase and cover is in good condition, but there is a small chip (2mm by 1mm) to the interior of one of the handles. There is also a flaw running diagonally through one corner of the underside of the foot, up through the lower side of the vase and branching out to the other side. There is also a flaw to each side of the foot. There are a some minor nicks to the rim of the vase and a shallow chip re-polished to one corner of the inner rim of the cover.
"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 form and design of this vase were inspired by archaic bronze hu of the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods. Jade craftsmen active during the Qianlong reign turned to archaic bronze shapes in response to the Qianlong Emperor’s reverence to the past, and adapted them to suit the prevailing taste of the Qing court. The elegant, almost abstract motif carved on the central band of this piece testifies to this trend.

 

A vase and cover of similar shape and carved with a taotie mask, was sold in our London rooms, 23rd/24th May 1974, lot 74; and another was sold at Christie’s London, 3rd November 2009, lot 107. See also a much larger hu vase, with a Qianlong mark and of the period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Jade, vol. 10, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 6; another from the collections of Alfred Morrison, H.M. Queen Marie of Yugoslavia, and the Sir John Woolf collections, included in the exhibition The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, Sotheby’s, London, 2013, cat. no. 25; and a third, sold in our London rooms, 2nd May 1985, lot 252.