AN OUTSTANDING RED AND WHITE CARNELIAN AGATE 'LOTUS' BRUSH WASHER WITH ORIGINAL IVORY STAND QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |

the white sections of the stone skilfully rendered as a furled and veined lotus leaf forming the washer, borne on a beribboned bundle of curved stems carved from the translucent red part of the stone, issuing broad leaves and exuberant flowering lotus blooms around the base and exterior, the ivory stand intricately carved in openwork depicting delicately entwined stems of further lotus leaves, lotus flowers, pods and arrowheads stained in green with subtle highlights of red

The washer is in overall good condition. Small areas of the edges have been gently polished. The stand is in good condition, with just minor surface wear and tiny bruises at the edges.
"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."

This outstanding brush washer is of unparalleled quality, ranking alongside the finest quality examples from the Imperial collection preserved in Beijing or Taipei. The quality of the raw material itself is of brilliant colour, which has been skilfully manipulated to depict the superbly carved undulating design. The original green-stained ivory stand, selected as a detail for the cover of this catalogue, is itself a superlative work of art, where the natural organic grain of the ivory has been so masterfully utilised to match the undulating stems of the brush washer. Skilfully carved to depict a lotus pod, it epitomises the plethora of novel designs carved from a variety of precious materials that were favoured by the Qianlong Emperor. A distinctive requirement of hardstone carving is the ability of the artist to integrate its variegated colours, which are almost always irregular. A master craftsman relied on his exceptional artistic sensibility and intimate knowledge of the material to visualise the completed product in an unworked stone. He also needed to be flexible in modifying his initial design upon encountering variations of colours and opacities in the course of his work, turning a potential flaw into a desirable highlight. Carnelian agate was among the semi-precious stones prized by the Qing Court and was utilised for the production of playthings, snuff bottles and other small intricately carved scholar’s objects such as the present washer. Further carnelian agate examples of objects for the scholar’s table include a brushrest, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Small Refined Articles of the Study, Shanghai, 2009, p. 122, pl. 91; a vase in the form of a trunk, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese jades], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 142; and a number of pieces from the Heber R. Bishop collection, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, such as a small vase and a water pot, accession nos 02.18.868 and 02.18.875 respectively. Carnelian-agate carvings of this exceptional quality were created to furnish the halls of the Imperial Palaces. Several examples housed in the Empress Eugénie Chinese Museum at Fontainebleau are illustrated in Le Musée chinois de l'impératrice Eugénie, Paris, 1994, pp. 24-25.