A VERY RARE AND WELL-CARVED 'HUNDRED BOYS' CELADON JADE BRUSHPOT QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of wide cylindrical form supported on five evenly spaced ruyi-form feet, the exterior skillfully carved and undercut in deep relief with a continuous scene of boys at play in a garden landscape, one side carved with five boys in a procession marching towards a pavilion, one carrying a vase with millet sprays, one on a hobby horse, another playing with fire crackers, two more waving a banner, and one carrying a lantern, the other side further carved with six boys in a balustraded garden playing various musical instruments including a drum, a pipe, cymbals, and a gong, all within a rock garden with towering pine and plantain trees and beneath a band of wispy scrolling clouds carved along the mouthrim, the stone a pale celadon tone with some calcified white flecks, elaborately carved wood stand (2)

There are a few very minor chips to the carving. There is a 1/8 inch chip on bottom edge. There is a 3 inch russet fissure running down from the mouthrim which can be seen in one of the illustrations in the catalogue. There is a 1/2 inch flaw on one of the feet, also visible in the illustration. The actual color of the brushpot is quite close to the illustration in the catalogue.
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.

Celadon jade brushpots of this size are rare due to the limited supply of the material. The superb quality of the carving reflects the preciousness of jade and is a fine example of the very high standard of carving achieved during the 18th century in the Qing court.

The present lot is decorated with the subject of the 'Hundred Boys', a popular motif during the decorative repertoire of the Ming and Qing dynasty as it symbolizes the Chinese perpetual wish for many sons. According to Terese Tse Batholomew in Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 63, the 'Hundred Boys' theme has its origins in the Western Zhou dynasty when King Wen of the Zhou adopted one son in addition to his ninety-nine sons to complete the number of one hundred.

Although the 'Hundred Boys' theme was popular in porcelain decoration, it is rare to find a jade brushpot carved with this subject matter. Rare examples include a brushpot in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, illustrated in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taipei, 1997, no. 59, also carved with boys at play but of square cross-section.

A number of white or pale celadon jade brushpots carved with figures in landscape settings are known from important museums and private collections. Compare, for instance, a white jade brushpot in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 167; a slightly larger pale celadon jade brushpot from the collection of Herber R. Bishop was sold in these rooms, 16th September 2009, lot 251.