AN AGATE 'MALLOW' BOWL QING DYNASTY, YONGZHENG / QIANLONG PERIOD

the glossy translucent stone of beige and golden-yellow tones highlighted with natural brown veins and patches, delicately carved in low relief as a blooming mallow with overlapping furled petals, radiating from a circular centre above smaller petals and a four-sepal calyx, resting on a short curled stem

Galerie Héliot, Paris, 1910.
A Private French Collection.
Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 18th November 2005, lot 76.

The stone has some natural veins and darker patches.There is a small bruise with an attended 6mm hairline to the rim (visible in the left side of the image p.34 of the catalogue). There is a minute flaw to the rim on the opposite side, some light surface scratches but overall the bowl is in good condition.
"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."

Especially treasured for its beautiful colouration and translucent quality, agate is one of several hard stones that was valued as much as the finest quality jade. Ming Wilson in Chinese Jades, London, 2004, p. 96, notes that agate was worked by the Chinese craftsmen in the same way as jade.

The mallow, from the hibiscus family, follows the path of the sun across the sky during the day. The sun in Chinese cosmology stands for the Emperor and therefore, this beautiful flower has traditionally been the symbol of loyalty to the emperor.

For examples of agate carvings see a group of vessels, some inscribed with Yongzheng reign marks and of the period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the museum's exhibition Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2009, cat. nos. II-61-70. Compare also a shallow bowl in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages, vol. 11, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 28. A lobed agate bowl, being offered as tribute by a high official during the reign of Qianlong, is illustrated in Qingdai gongting shenghuo ('Life in the Forbidden City during the Qing Dynasty'), Hong Kong, 1985, pl. 280; and a set of six cups, from the Musée Guimet, Paris, included in the exhibition Emperor Kangxi and the Sun King Louis XIV, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2011, cat. no. 1A-13.