AN IMPERIAL IVORY ALBUM MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

comprising twelve concertina ink and colour on paper landscape leaves by Yu Rong, with seals of the artist and four further seals comprising Gu xi tian zhi ('Seal of the Son of Heaven at Seventy'), Wen yuan shizi lin bao ('Treasure of the Lion Grove Garden in Wen Yuan'), Sanxi tang xi ('The Hall of Three Rarities') and Shiqu baoji ('The Precious Collection of the Stone Canal Pavilion'), the ivory front cover finely carved with the four-character Qianlong yuzhi mark in a rectangular panel reserved on a wu fu and swirling cloud ground, all within a key-fret band, the back cover plain with a similar key-fret band at the edge 

Acquired in London, late 1970s / early 1980s.

Apart from some minor surface scratches to the ivory covers, the overall condition is very good with the leaves well preserved.
"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."

This exquisitely carved and painted miniature album belongs to a special group of items that was produced for the Qianlong emperor, who was an enthusiastic collector of curios and miniature artefacts that were made of various materials. An array of objects, including vessels, scholar's items and sculpture, were made in various mediums and precious materials. While large artefacts immediately attract the viewer for their impressive size, the beauty of miniature pieces lies in the extraordinary level of craftsmanship and detail achieved by the artist who has applied his masterly skills onto a small surface.

Smaller objects in the imperial collections were managed and housed in treasure boxes (duobaoge). The contents of these treasure boxes usually cover the entire range of the imperial collections, from jades and bronzes of all ages to decorative arts in every medium and exotica from foreign countries. Thus the treasure box is a microcosm of the emperor's collection; reducing the vast imperial collection to a manageable size and format. See two treasure boxes filled with miniature treasures including albums, exhibited in Possessing the Past. Treasures from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1996, cat. nos. 352 amd 353.

The album is painted by Yu Rong, a native of Jinding known for his service in the Inner Courts and his tributes of paintings and poems to the Qianlong emperor from the middle of his reign. Yu was celebrated for his paintings that were executed in imitation of Song and Yuan works. The Qianlong emperor titled Yu's anthology of paintings Yilouji. The style of the paintings in this album reflects the practice of Qing artists who produced miniature copies of works by great painters of the Song period. Miniature albums containing reduced-scale copies of letters and manuscripts of master calligraphers of the Northern Song period were also produced.

For small albums of painting and calligraphy made for the Qianlong emperor, see two sets in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition The Imperial Packing Art of the Qing Dynasty, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2000, one with textile covers and housed in an exquisite zitan box inlaid with a jade bi and inscribed with the characters Ji Sheng Yan xi, cat. no. 37, the other with a zitan box containing ten albums of flower paintings, all bound between zitan covers, cat. no. 38.