A white jade 'daji' 'double-gourd' vase and cover Qing dynasty, Qianlong period | 清乾隆 白玉雲蝠紋大吉葫蘆蓋瓶

In the precision of the intricate rendering of the bats and swirling clouds in low relief against the immaculate polished white stone, this fine vase represents the technical skill achieved by jade carvers of the 18th century. It is also rare to find large double-gourd vases of this type carved with such elegant proportions. However, a close comparison can be made with a slightly smaller example, carved in low relief with five bats and also inscribed with the characters daji ('good fortune'), illustrated in Stanley Charles Nott, A Catalogue of Rare Chinese Jade Carvings, Palm Beach, Florida, 1940, no. 14. Another example carved with bats amongst Buddhist emblems and peach sprays is illustrated in Chinese Jade, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1998, cat. no. 41. Other white jade double-gourd vases of this type include one illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simon Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 154, and sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th November 2007, lot 1552; one from the collection of Mrs E. Dormer, sold in our London rooms, 14th November 1967, lot 11; another sold in our New York rooms, 11th and 12th April 1990, lot 326; and a fourth example sold in our London rooms, 25th May 1971, lot 12, and again, 11th May 2011, lot 112.

Due to its many seeds, the double gourd, mandai, is a symbol of fertility in China, and its lengthy network of string-like vines and tendrils suggests continuity; hence the auspicious pun wandai (ten-thousand generations). When hollowed out, the gourd is employed as a storage container for food, liquor or medicine to also symbolise abundance and good luck. The relief decoration which appears on the surface of the present example consists of a harmonious combination of auspicious and well-wishing motifs. The wufu, or 'five bats', symbolize the five blessings: long life, riches, health, love of virtue and a peaceful death, while the double-gourd shape itself is associated with the Daoist immortal Li Tieguai and is symbolic of prosperity and an expression of hope for many sons and grandsons.