A WHITE AND RUSSET STAINED JADE 'DOUBLE-GOURDS' CARVING QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

finely worked in the round as a double-gourd borne on a stem with gnarled intertwining branches extending across the double-gourd and issuing large furled leaves and an attendant small double-gourd near the base, the leaves realistically rendered with apertures simulating insect holes, the stone of an even white colour with attractive stained russet streaks

Spink & Son Ltd., London.

Chinese Jade. An Important Private Collection, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1991, cat. no. 164.

The carving is in overall good condition. There are expected minute bruises and shallow nicks to the extremities, the largest measuring approx. 0.6 cm to the tip of one leaf near the lower bulb of the large gourd.
"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."

Jade carvings in the form of double-gourds were popular from the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, and the present piece is impressive for the finely carved leaves and the smooth polish of the body of the gourd. A related example, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji [The Complete Collection of Chinese Jade], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 273; one was included in the exhibition The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, Sotheby’s, London, 2013, cat. no. 79; another was sold in these rooms, 30th October 2002, lot 358; a third, illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, New York, 1996, pl. 204, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th November 2007, lot 1553.