A white jade 'dragon' moonflask, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period | 清乾隆 白玉雲龍紋雙龍耳扁壺

Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 1998, lot 526.

Christie's Hong Kong, 31st October 2000, lot 954.

香港佳士得1998年4月26日，編號526

香港佳士得2000年10月31日，編號954

The five-clawed frontal leaping dragon remains one of the most powerful and ubiquitous symbols of imperial authority, adorning items from the emperor’s robes to his palaces. While imperial ‘dragon’ moonflasks were popular in porcelain during the Qianlong period, they are relatively rare in jade. Preserved together with its original cover, the present piece, powerfully carved with imperial dragons from a white jade stone of superior quality, is one of the finest extant examples.

Further ‘dragon’ moonflasks include one carved in low relief, with dragon handles and cover, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Compendium of Chinese Jade], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 220; another with a cover and ringed mask-head handles, from the collection of Sir John Buchanan-Jardine, included in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Art, London, 1935-36, cat. no. 2839; and a slightly larger example, similarly conceived with stylised dragon ring handles, but without cover, sold in these rooms, 7th October 2010, lot 2628.

This type of jade moonflasks – well-proportioned, understated in colour yet richly decorated with details – must have been an ideal addition to the interior of the imperial household. A jade covered moonflask, for example, can be seen in situ on a display shelf among many other precious imperial objects at Shufangzhai (Studio of Cleansing Fragrance) in the former residence of the Qianlong Emperor (Life of the Forbidden City, Hong Kong, 1985, pl. 224).

五爪龍紋，皇室專屬，可見此瓶之級別，絕非等閒。採抱月瓶之式，玉器上鮮見。玉料溫潤潔白，且原蓋尚存，誠難得佳作。類例可參考一龍耳帶蓋扁瓶，收入《中國玉器全集》，卷6，石家莊，1993年，圖版220。約翰．渣甸爵士舊藏一例，獸耳、帶蓋，曾展於《參加倫敦中國藝術國際展覽會出品圖說》，皇家藝術研究院，倫敦，1935-36年，編號2839。紐約大都會藝術博物館也有一瓶，尺寸較大，無蓋（藏品編號 02.18.604）。尚有一例，較此略大，變形龍紋銜環耳，無蓋，2010年10月7日在香港蘇富比拍出，編號2628。

此類玉扁瓶，遠觀器形大方莊重、色澤柔美悅目，近看細膩入微，置於宮中作陳設，最為宜適。乾隆帝所住重華宮中，漱芳齋多寶格上便有陳置類似的帶蓋玉扁瓶，立在一眾御製珍寶之間，尤顯雅緻，圖見《清代宮廷生活》，香港，1985年，圖版224。