A white and russet jade boulder, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

The present carving is a fine example of yushan (jade mountain), where the jade boulder is elaborately carved to depict a hermetic scene set amidst a rugged mountainous landscape, home to immortals and reclusive scholars. Jade mountain carvings were popular amongst the literati and in the imperial courts as objects of contemplation. The scenes were inspired by landscape painting and thus often depicted figures in idealized wilderness, reflecting man's love for nature and his insignificance in the cosmic realm. Boulder mountains testify to the jade carvers' tremendous skills and reflect their reverence for the natural qualities of the stone. They were able to carve elaborate and lively tableaus within the confines of the boulder, keeping the silhouette intact while artistically manipulating the natural 'imperfections' of the stone to enhance the design. 

For Qianlong period jade mountains of a similar size and quality, see a grayish-white jade example depicting a scholar and attendant crossing a bridge in a moutainscape, inscribed with an imperial poem by the Qianlong Emperor, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the exhibition The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 36; and another white jade mountain depicting a scholar and attendant traveling in a landscape, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 565.