- 3410
AN EXCEPTIONAL AND LARGE WHITE JADE BRUSH WASHER AND SILVER-INLAID WOOD STAND QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |
Estimate
12,000,000 - 15,000,000 HKD
bidding is closed
Description
- jade
- 17.8 cm, 7 in.
the substantial white boulder exuberantly worked into a lingzhi-shaped vessel with generous thick walls curving inwards towards the rim, borne on a thick leafy stem issuing clusters of smaller lingzhi heads around the exterior, flanked by two crouching boys holding on to the walls, their chubby faces with a cheerful expression, the hair gathered into two topknots, clasping a ruyi sceptre and a spray of Chinese evergreen in their hands respectively, the well-polished stone of an attractive opaque white tone, the original wood stand intricately carved with lingzhi shrubs growing from cragged rocks, above a pierced apron inlaid with archaistic scrolls and ruyi strapwork in silver wire
Provenance
Collection of Stanley Charles Nott.
Christie's New York, 22nd March 2007, lot 98.
Christie's New York, 22nd March 2007, lot 98.
Literature
Stanley Charles Nott, Chinese Jades in the Stanley Charles Nott Collection, West Palm Beach, 1942, pp. 378-379, pl. LXXXIV, no. 74.
Condition
The washer and stand are in extremely good condition. There are expected minor bruises and nicks to the fragile extremities, including the tips of one boy’s left fingers and the leaves, the most visible a shallow approx. 0.4 cm nick to the edge of a leaf on the exterior.
"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 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
A White Jade ‘Boys’ Brush Washer
Xu Lin This white jade ‘boys’ brush washer (lot 3410), 18.4 cm long, 12 cm wide and 6.3 cm high, is carved from high quality Hetian white jade. The jade is smooth to touch, bright and brilliant. Of oval form, it is skillfully worked, flanked by two boys depicted climbing at the rim, both plump with exaggerated heads and ears, and smiling faces. When we examine it closely, we immediately appreciate its lustrous quality. The whole object is exquisite, one boy carved with evergreen in his hand, the other with lingzhi, meaning ‘Wannian ruyi’ (‘May you live for 10,000 years’). The exterior of the washer is carved with lingzhi, and the leaves and trunks extend down to the base. The interior and exterior are both polished to the same level of perfection, and the details are perfect. It is preserved complete with its original wood stand, made from two parts which stand together. The upper part is carved with lingzhi, bamboo and rocks, the lower part embellished with silver. The upper part of the stand perfectly fits the lower contours of the brush washer. Clearly it was created for the current jade washer. The surface of the washer is exquisite. From the superb workmanship and the delicate articulation of the face, the robes, the shape of the boys and the stand itself, it is typical mid Qing workmanship, and clearly fits the characteristics of Qianlong workmanship.
This jade brush washer was originally in the collection of Charles Stanley Nott and illustrated in his book, published in 1942. This book was a limited edition of 1000 copies. A copy sold at Christie’s New York auction, September 2012. Nott lived from 1902 to 1957, and was an important jade collector, scholar and researcher. He published books about jade, starting in 1927 with his research notes and images. They illustrate considerable numbers of jade found in overseas collections, of which the majority of the Imperial jades illustrated in the books came from his own private collection. They also recalled his research into Chinese jade, including its development and workmanship. He is one of the earliest Westerners to learn, love and research jade.
It can be said of brush washers, that people’s first impression is that they are from the scholar’s desk. There is a book from the Ming Dynasty scholar Gao Lian, ‘Zunsheng Bajian’, that talks of the function of the brush washer:
"After you use the brush to write, place it in the washer to wash out the ink. Otherwise the brush will get crispy and not last long. From here you can see the washer is used for washing brushes."1
The shape of the washer has a broad mouth. Apart from Wenfang si bao (‘four treasures of the scholar’s desk’), it is the most important item on the scholar’s desk. Scholar’s desks are first seen in the Eastern Han dynasty, but there are no excavated records of washers. So it is impossible to determine exactly when they started being used. There is, however, an Eastern Han jade ‘chilong’ object that resembles a washer in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (fig. 1),2 but it is impossible to determine if that is its precise function. Furthermore, there is one jade zun-shaped bottle excavated at the Western Jin tomb of Liu Hong in Anxiang, present day Hunan province.3 From the shape and decoration, it can be deduced that the date is Western Han. Traces of ink can still be found in the vase, confirming that it may originally have been used as a type of brush washer. If this is the case, it demonstrates that there is no standard form for a brush washer. After the Jin and Tang dynasties, and up until the Yuan, there was a proliferation of scholar’s objects, but only a small number created from jade. The most commonly used material for washers was porcelain. From what we see from the Palace Museum, there are a few jade examples, all of which exude top-quality form and workmanship. They all emanate from the Imperial collection (fig. 2).4
From excavated evidence, it is clear that the earliest jade brush washer was excavated at the Southern Song Shisheng Zu tomb – a celadon lotus-leaf shaped washer. The shape resembles a giant lotus leaf, using a carved stem as a handle. The shape is from a natural plant. The design is skillfully designed, and is the prototype for Qing dynasty plant-shaped washers.5 The Yuan dynasty Qianyu tomb in Wuxi unearthed a celadon peach-shaped washer.6 The branches and leaves were incorporated into the handle, and the body of the washer is like a half peach. From then on, jade craftsmen adhered to this form.
An early Ming dynasty tomb excavated in Shandong revealed a set of scholar’s objects, including a jade brush, celadon jade ink stone, celadon jade brushrest and a white jade floral-shaped washer,7 which resembles a beautiful flower. Approaching the Ming dynasty, the shape of jade washers became increasingly beautiful. From Ming dynasty records, it is known that ‘brush washers are in the form of alm’s bowls, rectangular, circular, some of them decorated, others plain. The highest workmanship emulates antiquity’.8 There is a considerable number of large jade washers in the Qing Court collection: over 100 Ming jade washers, mostly of floral form (fig. 3).9 Other than that, there are figures, geometrical, circular and of alm’s bowl and other forms.
Jade washers based on Ming prototypes in the Qing Dynasty underwent tremendous developments, especially in the Qianlong period. After 1760, the tribute jade system from Xinjiang and Hetian increased the supply of jades to the court, and sufficient jade material laid the foundation for the flourishing of Qianlong jade workmanship. Under these circumstances, the creation of Qing jade washers reached an unprecedented height. There are more than 600 Qing jade washers preserved in the Beijing Palace Museum collection, more than from any other period. Due to the complexity of creating a jade washer and the ever-changing materials, none of the existing jade washers are the same. They all have their own unique style and different shape. The pieces are vivid, exquisite, and artistic, far exceeding their mere utilitarian function.
From Qing court records and from close observations, it can be seen that there are four types of forms for jade washers: plant, animal, geometric and human figure. Jade washers with the subject of human figures are the most commonly found. There are two white jade boys washers in the Palace Museum, Beijing (figs 4 and 5).10 The shape and face of the boys is closely related to the current lot, but the facial expression on the current example is more animated. Jade washers from the Qing Dynasty were not really used for the practical function of washing brushes. From the Qing court records, it is clear that the majority were placed in cabinets in different halls for decoration.
On the 26th day of the first month of the 20th year of the Qianlong era (1755), it is recorded that the eunuch E Luoli handed in a white jade kuilong – handled circular jade washer, a celadon jade album, and a zitan silver-embellished box. The Emperor requested that the box be polished, and the washer and album placed within the box and inside the cabinet used for his treasured playthings known as Baishi jian (‘Emperor’s Playthings’).11
Brush washers actually used to wash pens are recorded in the Qing records as bixi. In 1754, a craftsman called Yao Zongren, from the Ruyiguan, drew a design of a celadon jade washer and gave it to the Emperor. Other than these, some of the jade washers were tribute from local officials. In 1794, Dongchun asked his family members to bring to the palace a white jade washer, a spinach jade washer and a double-form washer. The same year, Zhu Gui from Guangdong paid tribute with a jade begonia-shaped vase bottle, a pair of jade flowers, and five other jade washers. From all these records, it can be deduced that jade washers had two key functions: a utilitarian function to wash the brush, and a decorative function. All depended on the owner’s interests and needs.
High quality jade material is itself a rare and treasured resource. In ancient times, people used it to create the most precious artefacts. Therefore, jade is much more precious than other materials. The production of jade washers, with designs mostly derived from the rural natural scenery, flowers, figures, animals, and other subjects, can illuminate and bring life into the scholar’s studio. Members of the literati, including the emperor himself and other high officals, who pursue the ideal of a cultured and leisured life, all treasure artworks of this high quality.
1 Gao Lian (Ming dynasty), Zhong Xing, ed., Zunsheng bajian [Eight discourses on the art of living], vol. 15: yanxian qingshang jian, lun bi [On pens], Xianxueju revised ed., printed during the Wanli period.
2 The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (I), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 223.
3 Anxiang xian Wenwu Guanlisuo (Anxiang county cultural properties management), ‘Hunan Anxiang Xijin Liu Hong mu [Western Jin Tomb of Liu Hong, Anxiang, Hunan]’, Wenwu/Chinese Cultural Relics, vol. 11, 1993.
4 The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 35.
5 Quzhou shi Wenwu Guanli Weiyuanhui (Quzhou city committee of cultural properties management), ‘Zhejiang Quzhou shi Nansong mu chutu qiwu [Excavation of Southern Song tomb at Quzhou city, Zhejiang]’, Kaogu/Archaeology, vol. 11, 1983; illustrated in Gu Fang ed., Zhongguo chutu yuqi quanji [The complete collection of Jades unearthed in China], Beijing, 2005, vol. 8: Zhejiang, fig. 227.
6 Xu Lin, ‘Qian Yu mu chutu Yuan dai yuqi zongshu [An overview of the Yuan dynasty jades excavated from the tomb of Qian Yu]’, The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, no. 193, 1999.
7 Shandong Museum and Archaeological Institute of the Shandong Province, eds, Luhuangwang mu [Tomb of King Lu of the Ming dynasty], Beijing, 2014.
8 See note 1.
9 The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (II), op.cit., pl. 198.
10 The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1996, pls 163 and 164.
11 China First Archive and the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, eds, Qinggong Neiwufu Zaobanchu dang’an zonghui [General collection of archival records from the Qing imperial household department workshop], Beijing, 2005. All the Zaobanchu huojidang [Records of the imperial workshops] listed below are quoted from the above reference and would not be further listed.
Xu Lin This white jade ‘boys’ brush washer (lot 3410), 18.4 cm long, 12 cm wide and 6.3 cm high, is carved from high quality Hetian white jade. The jade is smooth to touch, bright and brilliant. Of oval form, it is skillfully worked, flanked by two boys depicted climbing at the rim, both plump with exaggerated heads and ears, and smiling faces. When we examine it closely, we immediately appreciate its lustrous quality. The whole object is exquisite, one boy carved with evergreen in his hand, the other with lingzhi, meaning ‘Wannian ruyi’ (‘May you live for 10,000 years’). The exterior of the washer is carved with lingzhi, and the leaves and trunks extend down to the base. The interior and exterior are both polished to the same level of perfection, and the details are perfect. It is preserved complete with its original wood stand, made from two parts which stand together. The upper part is carved with lingzhi, bamboo and rocks, the lower part embellished with silver. The upper part of the stand perfectly fits the lower contours of the brush washer. Clearly it was created for the current jade washer. The surface of the washer is exquisite. From the superb workmanship and the delicate articulation of the face, the robes, the shape of the boys and the stand itself, it is typical mid Qing workmanship, and clearly fits the characteristics of Qianlong workmanship.
This jade brush washer was originally in the collection of Charles Stanley Nott and illustrated in his book, published in 1942. This book was a limited edition of 1000 copies. A copy sold at Christie’s New York auction, September 2012. Nott lived from 1902 to 1957, and was an important jade collector, scholar and researcher. He published books about jade, starting in 1927 with his research notes and images. They illustrate considerable numbers of jade found in overseas collections, of which the majority of the Imperial jades illustrated in the books came from his own private collection. They also recalled his research into Chinese jade, including its development and workmanship. He is one of the earliest Westerners to learn, love and research jade.
It can be said of brush washers, that people’s first impression is that they are from the scholar’s desk. There is a book from the Ming Dynasty scholar Gao Lian, ‘Zunsheng Bajian’, that talks of the function of the brush washer:
"After you use the brush to write, place it in the washer to wash out the ink. Otherwise the brush will get crispy and not last long. From here you can see the washer is used for washing brushes."1
The shape of the washer has a broad mouth. Apart from Wenfang si bao (‘four treasures of the scholar’s desk’), it is the most important item on the scholar’s desk. Scholar’s desks are first seen in the Eastern Han dynasty, but there are no excavated records of washers. So it is impossible to determine exactly when they started being used. There is, however, an Eastern Han jade ‘chilong’ object that resembles a washer in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (fig. 1),2 but it is impossible to determine if that is its precise function. Furthermore, there is one jade zun-shaped bottle excavated at the Western Jin tomb of Liu Hong in Anxiang, present day Hunan province.3 From the shape and decoration, it can be deduced that the date is Western Han. Traces of ink can still be found in the vase, confirming that it may originally have been used as a type of brush washer. If this is the case, it demonstrates that there is no standard form for a brush washer. After the Jin and Tang dynasties, and up until the Yuan, there was a proliferation of scholar’s objects, but only a small number created from jade. The most commonly used material for washers was porcelain. From what we see from the Palace Museum, there are a few jade examples, all of which exude top-quality form and workmanship. They all emanate from the Imperial collection (fig. 2).4
From excavated evidence, it is clear that the earliest jade brush washer was excavated at the Southern Song Shisheng Zu tomb – a celadon lotus-leaf shaped washer. The shape resembles a giant lotus leaf, using a carved stem as a handle. The shape is from a natural plant. The design is skillfully designed, and is the prototype for Qing dynasty plant-shaped washers.5 The Yuan dynasty Qianyu tomb in Wuxi unearthed a celadon peach-shaped washer.6 The branches and leaves were incorporated into the handle, and the body of the washer is like a half peach. From then on, jade craftsmen adhered to this form.
An early Ming dynasty tomb excavated in Shandong revealed a set of scholar’s objects, including a jade brush, celadon jade ink stone, celadon jade brushrest and a white jade floral-shaped washer,7 which resembles a beautiful flower. Approaching the Ming dynasty, the shape of jade washers became increasingly beautiful. From Ming dynasty records, it is known that ‘brush washers are in the form of alm’s bowls, rectangular, circular, some of them decorated, others plain. The highest workmanship emulates antiquity’.8 There is a considerable number of large jade washers in the Qing Court collection: over 100 Ming jade washers, mostly of floral form (fig. 3).9 Other than that, there are figures, geometrical, circular and of alm’s bowl and other forms.
Jade washers based on Ming prototypes in the Qing Dynasty underwent tremendous developments, especially in the Qianlong period. After 1760, the tribute jade system from Xinjiang and Hetian increased the supply of jades to the court, and sufficient jade material laid the foundation for the flourishing of Qianlong jade workmanship. Under these circumstances, the creation of Qing jade washers reached an unprecedented height. There are more than 600 Qing jade washers preserved in the Beijing Palace Museum collection, more than from any other period. Due to the complexity of creating a jade washer and the ever-changing materials, none of the existing jade washers are the same. They all have their own unique style and different shape. The pieces are vivid, exquisite, and artistic, far exceeding their mere utilitarian function.
From Qing court records and from close observations, it can be seen that there are four types of forms for jade washers: plant, animal, geometric and human figure. Jade washers with the subject of human figures are the most commonly found. There are two white jade boys washers in the Palace Museum, Beijing (figs 4 and 5).10 The shape and face of the boys is closely related to the current lot, but the facial expression on the current example is more animated. Jade washers from the Qing Dynasty were not really used for the practical function of washing brushes. From the Qing court records, it is clear that the majority were placed in cabinets in different halls for decoration.
On the 26th day of the first month of the 20th year of the Qianlong era (1755), it is recorded that the eunuch E Luoli handed in a white jade kuilong – handled circular jade washer, a celadon jade album, and a zitan silver-embellished box. The Emperor requested that the box be polished, and the washer and album placed within the box and inside the cabinet used for his treasured playthings known as Baishi jian (‘Emperor’s Playthings’).11
Brush washers actually used to wash pens are recorded in the Qing records as bixi. In 1754, a craftsman called Yao Zongren, from the Ruyiguan, drew a design of a celadon jade washer and gave it to the Emperor. Other than these, some of the jade washers were tribute from local officials. In 1794, Dongchun asked his family members to bring to the palace a white jade washer, a spinach jade washer and a double-form washer. The same year, Zhu Gui from Guangdong paid tribute with a jade begonia-shaped vase bottle, a pair of jade flowers, and five other jade washers. From all these records, it can be deduced that jade washers had two key functions: a utilitarian function to wash the brush, and a decorative function. All depended on the owner’s interests and needs.
High quality jade material is itself a rare and treasured resource. In ancient times, people used it to create the most precious artefacts. Therefore, jade is much more precious than other materials. The production of jade washers, with designs mostly derived from the rural natural scenery, flowers, figures, animals, and other subjects, can illuminate and bring life into the scholar’s studio. Members of the literati, including the emperor himself and other high officals, who pursue the ideal of a cultured and leisured life, all treasure artworks of this high quality.
1 Gao Lian (Ming dynasty), Zhong Xing, ed., Zunsheng bajian [Eight discourses on the art of living], vol. 15: yanxian qingshang jian, lun bi [On pens], Xianxueju revised ed., printed during the Wanli period.
2 The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (I), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 223.
3 Anxiang xian Wenwu Guanlisuo (Anxiang county cultural properties management), ‘Hunan Anxiang Xijin Liu Hong mu [Western Jin Tomb of Liu Hong, Anxiang, Hunan]’, Wenwu/Chinese Cultural Relics, vol. 11, 1993.
4 The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 35.
5 Quzhou shi Wenwu Guanli Weiyuanhui (Quzhou city committee of cultural properties management), ‘Zhejiang Quzhou shi Nansong mu chutu qiwu [Excavation of Southern Song tomb at Quzhou city, Zhejiang]’, Kaogu/Archaeology, vol. 11, 1983; illustrated in Gu Fang ed., Zhongguo chutu yuqi quanji [The complete collection of Jades unearthed in China], Beijing, 2005, vol. 8: Zhejiang, fig. 227.
6 Xu Lin, ‘Qian Yu mu chutu Yuan dai yuqi zongshu [An overview of the Yuan dynasty jades excavated from the tomb of Qian Yu]’, The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, no. 193, 1999.
7 Shandong Museum and Archaeological Institute of the Shandong Province, eds, Luhuangwang mu [Tomb of King Lu of the Ming dynasty], Beijing, 2014.
8 See note 1.
9 The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (II), op.cit., pl. 198.
10 The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1996, pls 163 and 164.
11 China First Archive and the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, eds, Qinggong Neiwufu Zaobanchu dang’an zonghui [General collection of archival records from the Qing imperial household department workshop], Beijing, 2005. All the Zaobanchu huojidang [Records of the imperial workshops] listed below are quoted from the above reference and would not be further listed.