A rare agate bowl, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng

Collection of Girolamo Varaschini (1899-1954), and thence by descent.

Its glistening surface left unadorned but for natural inclusions of peach and blood-red, the present bowl is a rare and extraordinary example of true ‘Yongzheng Taste’. While agate was likely first embraced by the Qing court out of necessity in the face of disrupted jade trade routes, it soon became embraced in its own right as a much sought-after carving material. Hewn simply in the classic rounded form of a High Qing bowl, the present piece is both understated and remarkable in equal measure; its undecorated surface left free to highlight the beauty of the stone itself.

The Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1723-1734) is known to have been particularly struck by the simple and harmonious beauty of agate and commissioned a range of vessels in this style, to be inscribed with his illustrious reign mark. Compare a small number of agate bowls, cups and a water dropper of minimalist design bearing a Yongzheng mark, still preserved in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the exhibition Harmony and Integrity. The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, cat. nos II-61 to II-70, of which II-67 (fig. 1).

Girolamo Varaschini (1889-1954), a distinguished Italian collector of Chinese art, assembled an important collection of jades, paintings, and rare works of art during his years in China. Living and working in Shanghai from 1932, and later in Dalian, Beijing, and other key cultural centers through the 1940s, Varaschini cultivated close connections with local dealers and collectors at a time when masterpieces of classical Chinese art were still accessible. His discerning eye and refined taste allowed him to form a collection of exceptional quality, much of it acquired during his residence in Beijing between 1941 and 1946. Celebrated in his lifetime, Varaschini lent several of his finest treasures to the landmark Mostra d’Arte Cinese held at the Palazzo Ducale, Venice, in 1954—the first major postwar exhibition of Chinese art in Europe. The present cup, together with other Imperial jades from his collection, has remained with his descendants ever since, testament to both his legacy as a pioneering European connoisseur of Chinese art and the enduring importance of his collection.