A SUPERBLY CARVED WHITE JADE TEAPOT AND COVER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of hexagonal section with subtly lobed sides, set to one side with a curved spout, and to the other an elegant scrolling handle, finely carved to each side in low relief with a lobed panel enclosing two of the 'babao' ('The Eight Treasures'), the matching cover of conforming hexagonal section carved around the sides with lobed panels enclosing alternating bats and peach sprigs, surmounted by a pointed knop of hexagonal form carved with leaf motifs, the stone of a pale celadon tone   

The teapot and cover are in very good condition. The teapot and cover are very well matched and fitted. There are natural veins and small white inclusions in the stone. The colour of the stone is less grey, and more of a warm celadon-white tone than the illustration depicts.
"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."

Imperial white jade teapots are rare and the present piece, which is particularly unusual for its hexagonal shape, reflects the remarkable degree of expertise that jade carvers achieved as a result of the Qianlong emperor's passion for jade. The fine and precise lines of the low-relief carving coupled with the highly-polished surface heighten the luminosity of the even whiteness of the material, and are characteristic of the creativity and quality of the Qianlong emperor's unrivalled jade collection.

This teapot also reveals Qianlong's love for tea drinking. He had magnificent tea wares made which were often the product of the fruitful merger of function, aesthetics and creativity. The sophistication of the tea-drinking culture by the Qianlong period combined with the superior craftsmanship of the carvers is clearly evident from this small but elegant masterpiece. No other example appears to be recorded.

Compare a six-lobed teapot from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware III, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 242, along with globular examples, pl. 213 and 214. Further examples were included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade from the De An Tang Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 96 and 97; two are published in Zhongguo yuqi quanji, vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 1 and pl. 7; and one was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30^th October 2001, lot 704.