A white jade 'bats and lingzhi' brushwasher, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period | 清乾隆 白玉祥蝠瑞芝紋洗

Collection of the Earl of Jersey, by descent.

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The present jade vessel is exceptionable for its translucency and evenness of the white stone. The quality of the white jade, skillfully accentuated through the finely finished plain surfaces, perfectly complements the auspicious wishes represented through the bat and lingzhi branches. Vessels with this type of decoration that conferred blessings and good wishes were popular during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), and were often presented as gifts on occasion of a marriage. The lingzhi fungus is a rebus for intelligence (ling) and 'arrive' (zhi), while the bat is a pun for 'blessings' (fu). Collectively they represent the wish for a clear mind when blessings arrive. 

Compare a brushwasher of lobed form in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages, vol. 12, Hong Kong, 1997, pl. 72. See also two similar brushwashers sold in our Hong Kong rooms, the first, 8th April 2014, lot 3037; and the other, 3rd October 2018, lot 3327.