Lot 117
  • 117

A SUPERB WHITE JADE RETICULATED 'BAJIXIANG' BOWL AND COVER, LIAN QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |

Estimate
2,000,000 - 3,000,000 HKD
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Description

  • 16 cm, 6 1/4  in.
with deep rounded sides resting on five short splayed cusped feet, the rim bordered with a wide flat cusped rim finely reticulated with sixteen cartouches enclosing the bajixiang emblems alternating with stylised beribboned motifs, the domed cover surmounted by a large finial worked in the form of a pierced floral bloom with veins incised to the petals, further surrounded by a lappet border, all above a raised band encircling the rim, the lustrous stone of an even white colour with white veins, wood stand

Condition

The bowl is in very good condition, with only minimal natural inclusions and veining to the stone, including one edge to the floral finial, and expected light wear to the feet.
"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

Crafted from a boulder of luminous white tone and accentuated by exuberant carved decoration in openwork, the present bowl and cover testifies the pursuit of harmonious beauty and adroit draughtsmanship in jade carvings during the Qianlong period. Bowls and covers of this form, also known as lian, served as vessels to carry grooming tools and cosmetics in ancient China. In the Qing imperial court, such bowls were often fashioned from wood, and either adorned with auspicious carved decoration or inlaid with jade. Jade bowls as such would have been a testament to the owner’s family status and wealth, and sometimes formed part of a lady’s dowry.

A bowl and cover in the Palace Museum, Beijing, of similar form and also adorned with a pronounced everted rim, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures from the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 198. Noteworthy is that the majority of the surface of the present bowl has been left plain and undecorated, this treatment is probably intentional to draw attention to the natural beauty and even stone colour of the present bowl, which excels that of the Palace Museum example.

Compare a bowl and cover of similar form but carved with dragons, illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 79; and another similarly decorated with the bajixiang but in shallow relief, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th November 2013, lot 3398.