Eclectic
Eclectic
Property from the collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee 利國偉收藏
A white jade archaistic incense burner and cover Qing dynasty, Qianlong period | 清乾隆 白玉仿古饕餮紋雙獸活環耳四足方蓋爐
Lot Closed
July 14, 02:24 AM GMT
Estimate
500,000 - 700,000 HKD
Lot Details
Description
Property from the collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee
A white jade archaistic incense burner and cover
Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
利國偉收藏
清乾隆 白玉仿古饕餮紋雙獸活環耳四足方蓋爐
of rectangular section, the straight sides with tubular corners rising on four round feet, flanked by a pair of animal mask loop handles suspending loose rings, the exterior worked in low relief with abstract archaistic dragon scrolls between cicada lappets and chevron bands, the domed cover of corresponding shape and surmounted by a coiled dragon finial, framed by four coiled chilongs at the corners, the stone of an even white tone, wood stand
l. 14 cm
Intricately carved around the body with dragons and taotie masks, this censer encapsulates the Qianlong Emperor’s devotion towards China’s past and his efforts to revive celebrated traditions. This piece is modelled after archaic bronze containers made in the Shang (16th century- c.1046 BC) and Western Zhou (c.1046-771 BC) dynasties, which are believed to have been used for storing artists’ materials. Cheng Te-kun in “The t’u-lu colour-container of the Shang-Chou period”, B.M.F.E.A., no. 37, 1965, pp 239-250, discusses the bronze prototypes of this piece and suggests that pigments were stored in the hollowed tubes, while the central compartment would have contained water. In the Qing dynasty the original function was abandoned, and vessels of this type were instead used as incense burners in three-piece garniture sets. The ‘Three Accessories’ (sanshi) included a censer (lu), a box (he) and a vase (ping), which are together homophonous with the words for wealth, longevity and peace.
A similar white jade censer and cover in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 156; one from the Avery Brundage collection, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, is illustrated in René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé,Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1977, pl. LV (left); another in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, was included in the Museum’s exhibition Radiance and Virtue: The R. Norris Shreve Collection of Chinese Jade and Other Oriental Works of Art, Indianapolis, 1983, cat. no. 29; and a fourth censer, from the collection of Sir John Woolf, included in the exhibition The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, Sotheby’s, London, 2013, cat. no. 21, was sold in our London rooms, 16th December 1987, lot 470.
See also a spinach-green jade censer and cover of this form, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated as part of a three-piece altar garniture set in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 10, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 111; another in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in Ming Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, pl. 52; a third with phoenix-shaped handles, illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 74; and a further example with strap handles, from the Avery Brundage collection in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, published op.cit., pl. LV (right).
白玉蓋爐，滿綴螭龍、饕餮紋，呼應乾隆皇帝慕古之情。器形傚仿商周青銅器，用以裝盛繪畫器具，鄭德坤於專文〈The t’u-lu colour-container of the Shang-Chou period〉，《B.M.F.E.A》，第37期，1965年，頁239-250，論及此類青銅器形，四角圓柱原應用於貯存色料，中心盛水。傳至清時，其原用途已廢，而作為三式之爐器。「三式」包含爐、盒、瓶，寓意富足、高壽、祥和。
北京故宮博物院藏一件類同白玉蓋爐，刊於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．玉器（下）》，香港，1995年，圖版156；布倫戴奇舊藏一例，現藏舊金山亞洲藝術博物館，載於 René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé，《Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection》，三藩市，1977年，圖版 LV（左）；另一例現存印第安納波利斯藝術博物館，曾展出於《Radiance and Virtue: The R. Norris Shreve Collection of Chinese Jade and Other Oriental Works of Art》，印第安納波利斯，1983年，編號29；第四例為伍夫爵士珍藏，展於《伍夫收藏中國玉器》，蘇富比，倫敦，2013年，編號21，曾於倫敦蘇富比售出，1987年12月16日，編號470。
北京故宮亦藏一件碧玉蓋爐，器形相類，為三式之一，錄於《故宮博物院文物藏品大系．玉器編》，卷10：清，北京，2011年，圖版111；倫敦維多利亞與艾伯特博物館亦藏一例，刊載於劉明倩，《Chinese Jades》，倫敦，2004年，圖版52；第三例作鳳形耳，錄於 Robert Kleiner，《哈特曼收藏中國玉器》，香港，1996年，圖版74；布倫戴奇亦藏一例，現貯舊金山亞洲藝術博物館，前述出處，圖版 LV（右）。
A similar white jade censer and cover in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 156; one from the Avery Brundage collection, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, is illustrated in René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé,Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1977, pl. LV (left); another in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, was included in the Museum’s exhibition Radiance and Virtue: The R. Norris Shreve Collection of Chinese Jade and Other Oriental Works of Art, Indianapolis, 1983, cat. no. 29; and a fourth censer, from the collection of Sir John Woolf, included in the exhibition The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, Sotheby’s, London, 2013, cat. no. 21, was sold in our London rooms, 16th December 1987, lot 470.
See also a spinach-green jade censer and cover of this form, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated as part of a three-piece altar garniture set in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 10, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 111; another in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in Ming Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, pl. 52; a third with phoenix-shaped handles, illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 74; and a further example with strap handles, from the Avery Brundage collection in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, published op.cit., pl. LV (right).
白玉蓋爐，滿綴螭龍、饕餮紋，呼應乾隆皇帝慕古之情。器形傚仿商周青銅器，用以裝盛繪畫器具，鄭德坤於專文〈The t’u-lu colour-container of the Shang-Chou period〉，《B.M.F.E.A》，第37期，1965年，頁239-250，論及此類青銅器形，四角圓柱原應用於貯存色料，中心盛水。傳至清時，其原用途已廢，而作為三式之爐器。「三式」包含爐、盒、瓶，寓意富足、高壽、祥和。
北京故宮博物院藏一件類同白玉蓋爐，刊於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．玉器（下）》，香港，1995年，圖版156；布倫戴奇舊藏一例，現藏舊金山亞洲藝術博物館，載於 René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé，《Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection》，三藩市，1977年，圖版 LV（左）；另一例現存印第安納波利斯藝術博物館，曾展出於《Radiance and Virtue: The R. Norris Shreve Collection of Chinese Jade and Other Oriental Works of Art》，印第安納波利斯，1983年，編號29；第四例為伍夫爵士珍藏，展於《伍夫收藏中國玉器》，蘇富比，倫敦，2013年，編號21，曾於倫敦蘇富比售出，1987年12月16日，編號470。
北京故宮亦藏一件碧玉蓋爐，器形相類，為三式之一，錄於《故宮博物院文物藏品大系．玉器編》，卷10：清，北京，2011年，圖版111；倫敦維多利亞與艾伯特博物館亦藏一例，刊載於劉明倩，《Chinese Jades》，倫敦，2004年，圖版52；第三例作鳳形耳，錄於 Robert Kleiner，《哈特曼收藏中國玉器》，香港，1996年，圖版74；布倫戴奇亦藏一例，現貯舊金山亞洲藝術博物館，前述出處，圖版 LV（右）。