Lot 3403
  • 3403

AN OUTSTANDING AND LARGE GREEN QUARTZ 'DRAGON AND PHOENIX' VASE GROUP QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |

Estimate
1,000,000 - 1,500,000 HKD
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Description

  • quartz
  • 16.5 cm, 6 1/2  in.; overall 21 cm, 8 1/4  in.
well-hollowed into a cylindrical vase boldly carved in relief with a sinuous dragon clambering on the exterior, the scaly beast with its head resting just above the rim, detailed with a pair of horns, bulging eyes and long curly whiskers, the exterior of the vase further decorated with finely incised and low-relief cloud scrolls, the left side with a phoenix standing beside gnarled sprigs of lingzhi, the bird with its wings tucked on either side and finely detailed with plumage, its head gently turned to its left, all supported on cragged rocks above a bed of swirling waves forming the base, the translucent stone of a pale sea-green tone, the original wood stand deftly carved with chrysanthemum sprays and lingzhi shrubs growing amongst rockwork above turbulent waters

Condition

Good overall condition. There are minor bruises and nicks to the fragile extremities of the vase and stand, including the tip of the phoenix’s beak and the dragon’s spine. Possibly gentle polishing to the edges of the vase, especially the foot.
"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."

Catalogue Note

This outstanding vase group, carved from green quartz of the most delicate gem-like colour, is a truly superb desk ornament, possibly a product of the Zaobanchu (Imperial Palace Workshops), created to furnish Imperial halls in the Qianlong period. Sumptuously carved in varying levels of relief with opulent iconography of a dragon, phoenix and lingzhi amidst mystical swirling clouds and mountain peaks, its use would have transcended that of a mere flower receptacle to be a conduit for the admirer to transport himself to an imaginary world. Preserved with its original superbly carved wood stand, itself no doubt a product of the Palace Workshops, it is an extraordinary legacy of the sumptuous Qianlong reign. The green quartz it is carved from, a rare material that naturally occurs when ‘vernarine’ green is suffused in the silicate crystal, is of superlative quality. Naturally occurring quartz including rock crystal has been recorded and admired as far back as the Tang dynasty, where it is described as a product of 'water turned to stone' and 'a beautiful material imported from Persia', hence the Chinese name shuijing, 'the brilliance of water'. It was popular with the literati who associated clear crystal with 'plain beauty' and had various scholars' objects made of this material, especially during the Qianlong period. Clear rock crystal is frequently found, but it is extremely rare to find raw material of this exquisite pale green colour, which would have been a great luxury at that time.

The scholarly elite would enjoy pausing while writing or painting, and at such times an opulent desk ornament such as the current vessel, teeming with luxuriant imagery of swirling clouds and mountain peaks, would remind them of the natural world and the harmony associated with the Daoist view of the universe. The sumptuous sprigs of lingzhi would evoke the fabled island of Peng Lai. The imagery of the phoenix, paired with a dragon, is emblematic of the empress and emperor, suggesting an Imperial provenance.  

For a rock crystal vase carved in relief with a dragon, see the example donated by Heber Bishop to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1902, acc. no. 02.18.820. See also a smoky crystal vase and cover in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, carved with dragons and flowering trees, illustrated in Soame Jenyns, Chinese Art III, Fribourg, 1981, p. 214, pl. 189. For jade vases with related iconography, see a large pale green jade vase in the Palace Museum, Beijing, similarly worked with a long chilong depicted clambering over the rim of the vessel, see Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete series on Chinese jades]. vol. 6, Hebei, 1991, pl. 148, and an 18th century yellow jade zun-form vase worked in relief with a dragon and phoenix, sold in these rooms, 11th April 2008, lot 3096.