A RARE WHITE JADE 'XIANG' BOWL QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the rounded sides resting on a low splayed footrim, rising to a slightly everted mouth, the exterior carved with four Buddhist emblems including wheel, canopy, endless knot and conch shell, alternating with the character Xiang ('Good Fortune'), all framed within stylised borders, the translucent stone suffused with some slightly opaque inclusions

Collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum, no. 73.483.
S. Marchant & Son Ltd., London.

Post-Archaic Chinese Jades from Private Collections, S. Marchant and Son Ltd., London, 2000, cat. no. 10.

The overall condition is very good with only some chalky white inclusions a few faint veins. The actual colour of the jade has a slightly warmer white tone than in the catalogue illustration.
"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."

The present bowl is a rare example of jade bowls carved with four of the Buddhist emblems. Fashioned from a luminous white jade stone, its high quality is accentuated by the subtle low-relief carving and immaculately polished surface.

Compare a shallow bowl similarly decorated with four panels enclosing four of the Eight Buddhist Treasures between four smaller panels containing the characters jixiang ruyi, but raised on four feet and carved to the interior with a flower spray and lingzhi fungus, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages. Connoisseurship of Chinese Jades, vol. 11, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 31. For a circular box carved with a related design of four of the Eight Buddhist symbols on the belly and the other four on the cover within panels and also separated by smaller panels containing characters, see one in the Baur Collection, published in Pierre-F. Scheeberger, The Baur Collection. Chinese Jades and Other Hardstones, Geneva, 1976, pl. B53.

See also a white jade shallow bowl carved with the bajixiang amidst clouds, the interior with a lily bush, sold at Christie's London, 11^th May 2010, lot 95; and a white jade octagonal shallow bowl carved on each facet with one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, with ringed handles and raised on four feet, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3^rd December 2008, lot 2605.