A large and impressive white and russet jade octagonal vase and cover, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

French Private Collection. 

Remarkable for its impressive size, this vase embodies the prosperity and refinement of the Qianlong period. Jade boulders of this scale were rarely used for vessels, as their natural irregularities made them more suitable for carved landscapes. In this instance, however, the exceptional quality of the stone enabled the craftsman to fashion it into a vase, skillfully emphasizing its generous proportions and luminous surface through an elongated octagonal form and finely executed low-relief decoration.

Jade carving reached its height during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, largely driven by his personal enthusiasm for jade and the unprecedented access to raw materials. Until the mid-Qianlong period, jade reached Beijing only in limited quantities, as the jade-producing regions of Khotan and Yarkand—located in present-day Xinjiang—were controlled by the Dzungars, who restricted its supply. This situation changed in 1760, when Qing forces defeated the Dzungar Khanate. From the following year, tribute jade was regularly dispatched to the court twice annually, establishing a steady influx of material. This abundance enabled the creation of increasingly large and ambitious works, such as the present vase.

The Qianlong Emperor encouraged jade artisans to draw inspiration from antiquity, and many of the finest pieces from this period combine archaic forms with auspicious symbolism. This vase exemplifies that approach: its shape reinterprets the ancient bronze fanghu form, which is here paired with a suspended shou (longevity) character attached to a musical chime. The decorative scheme suggests that the vase was conceived as a birthday gift: musical chimes (qing) are a homophone for “celebration”, while the shou character convey wishes for longevity and happiness.

Vases of this elegant tapered, octagonal form and of such large size are rare. A similar octagonal example without cover, formerly in the De An Tang Collection and exhibited in A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 57, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2023, lot 3656; and another more broadly carved, from the Sir Quo-Wei Lee Collection, sold in the same rooms, 8th October 2019, lot 110.