A RARE IMPERIALLY INSCRIBED CELADON JADE ARCHAISTIC VESSEL AND COVER (YI) QIANLONG FANG GU MARK AND PERIOD, DATED TO THE BINGSHEN YEAR (CORRESPONDING TO 1776)

the elongated ewer of oval section resting on a high foot, the gently sloping cover over a long curved spout set with a pair of prominent horns above a stylized taotie mask at one end and a taotie mask at the other end, with a hollow finial studded alternately with beads of blue and red, the hinged cover attached to a handle carved in the form of a stylized dragon, the cover finely incised on the underside with a 40-character inscription, with a Qianlong period bingshen year date corresponding to 1776, and two small seals guxiang and taiyu, finely carved around the body with an archaising design of interlocking hooks and spirals, the countersunk base with the six-character mark Da Qing Qianlong Fang Gu ('Made in the Qianlong era of the Great Qing in imitation of antiquity'), the stone of even pale celadon-white tone, wood stand (2)

This lot is in good overall condition. There are a few very minor natural flaws to the edge of the cover, which may have been slightly polished down. There is a 3 inch fissure which runs across the body of the vessel which has been incorporated into the design of the carving. There is another 1/4 inch fissure across the handle. Two of the hardstone inlay are now missing, and some of the inlays may have been replaced. The actual color of the vessel is more celadon than shown 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The inscription incised on the inside cover is the poem by the Qianlong emperor titled Yong Hetian yu kuiyi ('Song for a Hetian Jade kuiyi Vessel') and may be translated as follows:

Many ancient vessels are cast in bronze,
But now here is an yi vessel made of polished jade.
Its spreading handle accords with Zhou conventions,
A fit companion to a cauldron in sacrificial ceremonies.
Its inscription may differ from the one on "Foster Mother (yi)",
But as a treasure conferred it surpasses "Lady Wen (yi)."
One might scoff at the new way it looks,
But such hullabaloo would be just a waste of time.

Composed by the Qianlong emperor in the spring of the bingshen year (corresponding to 1776). Two seals reading guxiang and taiyu.

The poem is recorded in the Qing Gao Zong  yuzhi shiwen quanji, 4 ji, quan 37.27.

The present vessel is based on an archaic bronze guang, one of the rarest and most coveted of archaic bronze forms. As the inscription finely incised on the base of the vessel reveals, it was made 'in imitation of antiquity' (fang gu), its shape and design successfully combining an archaic form with contemporary style. In response to emperor Qianlong's fascination with the past, craftsmen in the Imperial workshops drew inspiration from the Xiqing gujian (Mirror of Antiquity of the Western Qing), the 40-volume catalogue of the imperial Qing bronze collection, of 1751. Compare, for example, a comparatively plain bronze guang, illustrated in Xiqing gujian, juan 32.36a.

Several jade guang vessels are in the former Imperial collection, compare two related examples, illustrated in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taiwan, 1997, cat. nos. 13 and 20. Compare another jade guang, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, no. 139. Compare also a jade guang similarly inscribed with an Imperial poem, and also bearing a Qianlong fang gu mark, sold in these rooms, 19th March 2007, lot 8.