A FINELY CARVED SPINACH-GREEN JADE ‘LANDSCAPE’ BRUSHPOT QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of cylindrical form, the exterior deftly and intricately carved in various levels of relief, depicting tiered pavilions sheltered amongst cragged rocks in a landscape with waterfalls, pine trees and plantain, the stone of a rich olive-green tone mottled with faint inclusions and dark speckles

Sotheby's New York, 7th/8th April 1988, lot 132.
Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1998.

Roger Keverne, Jade, London, 1991, p. 344, fig. 5.

The brushpot is in excellent condition with the exception of minor nibbling along the extremities. The stone is of a brighter green tone compared to the catalogue illustration.
"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."

An otherworldly quality is captured in this brushpot through the enigmatic landscape that is created through the varying depths of carving of the hanging trees and rocks, which cast dramatic and mysterious shadows when light passes through. The dexterity of the carver is further evidenced in his ability to capture a sense of naturalism, as seen through the different textures of trees and flowing water. Brushpots carved with intimate landscapes were a favoured object for the scholar’s studio as it the rugged scenes represented a retreat from the bureaucratic duties of life as a court official and exemplified the idea of the scholar who has withdrawn from the mundane. Thus the utilitarian brushpot becomes a vehicle for contemplation and a touchstone for the scholar’s imagination by virtue of its craftsmanship, decoration and use of precious stone. 

Two brushpots of similar narrow shape, but carved with figures in landscape, were sold in our London rooms, the first, 24th November 1964, lot 161, and the second, 6th July 1965, lot 82; and a white jade example was sold in our New York rooms, 7th/8th April 1988, lot 158. See also a spinach-green brushpot of wider form but carved in a similar style, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete Collection of Chinese Jade], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 278; and another, inscribed with a cyclical date corresponding to 1794, from the collection of Richard J. Salisbury and Mrs A Hamilton Rice, sold in our New York rooms, 24th November 1970, lot 20, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 25th April 2004, lot 12.