- 235
A SPINACH-GREEN JADE 'LANDSCAPE' BRUSHPOT QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD
Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 GBP
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Description
- jade
of cylindrical form, the exterior deeply carved in relief and undercut with a boy seated on a buffalo journeying towards a figure and his attendant crossing a bridge, in the distance further figures resting amongst pavilions and farmers at work in the fields, all set amongst an idyllic landscape with jagged rocks, trees and a flowing river, the stone of a mottled spinach-green tone suffused with paler moss-green and translucent cream-coloured inclusions
Provenance
Collection of Sir Herbert Ingram, BT (until 1949).
Sotheby’s London, 8th April 1949, lot 83.
An English Private Collection.
Thence by descent.
Sotheby’s London, 8th April 1949, lot 83.
An English Private Collection.
Thence by descent.
Condition
The brushpot is in very good condition with the exception of a 4 x 2mm., shallow flake to the edge of the foot.
It should be noted that the stone is of a slightly darker green tone than the catalogue illustration would suggest.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
An otherworldly quality is captured in the landscape depicted on this brushpot through the undercutting of the rocky crags which cast dramatic shadows and create a sense of depth. The high-relief carving of the naturalistically rendered scene reflects the dexterity of the carver and his intention of representing a rustic retreat from the sophisticated order of the Imperial court. The brushpot was an essential item for the scholar’s desk, offering not only a utilitarian vessel but a means of escape from the regulated life of the court and a source of inspiration for reflection through the craftsmanship, decoration and use of a precious stone.
The decoration follows in the tradition of Chinese painting with the surface of the jade treated as a horizontal handscroll. With each turn of the brushpot the scene is unravelled, inviting the viewer to enter and explore the landscape revealed before them.
A related brushpot in the Sir Joseph Hotung collection, on loan in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 29:18, where Rawson notes that the artisan of the British Museum piece used carving techniques to produce the effects of painting rather than making decorative use of the peculiarities of the stone. Further similarly impressive jade brushpots are known from important museums and private collections; see a spinach-green jade example carved with sages in caverns in a mountainous landscape, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in Geoffery Wills, Jade of the East, New York, 1972, pls 120-121, together with another decorated with sages, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, pl. 126; one illustrated in Pierre-F. Schneeberger, The Baur Collection. Geneva, Geneva, 1976, pl. B98; and another depicting children in a landscape, from the Duca da Padoua, Piedmonte, T.B. Kitson and Sir Isaac and Lady Wolfson collections, sold twice in these rooms, 10th October 1960, and 8th June 1982, lot 310, and a third time at Christie’s New York, 20th September 2002, lot 208. Compare also deep spinach-green brushpots of slightly larger size, such as two from the William Clayton collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th March 2007, lot 50; one sold in our Paris rooms, 9th June 2011, lot 159; and a third example sold twice in our London rooms and most recently in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th October 2011, lot 1910A.
The decoration follows in the tradition of Chinese painting with the surface of the jade treated as a horizontal handscroll. With each turn of the brushpot the scene is unravelled, inviting the viewer to enter and explore the landscape revealed before them.
A related brushpot in the Sir Joseph Hotung collection, on loan in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 29:18, where Rawson notes that the artisan of the British Museum piece used carving techniques to produce the effects of painting rather than making decorative use of the peculiarities of the stone. Further similarly impressive jade brushpots are known from important museums and private collections; see a spinach-green jade example carved with sages in caverns in a mountainous landscape, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in Geoffery Wills, Jade of the East, New York, 1972, pls 120-121, together with another decorated with sages, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, pl. 126; one illustrated in Pierre-F. Schneeberger, The Baur Collection. Geneva, Geneva, 1976, pl. B98; and another depicting children in a landscape, from the Duca da Padoua, Piedmonte, T.B. Kitson and Sir Isaac and Lady Wolfson collections, sold twice in these rooms, 10th October 1960, and 8th June 1982, lot 310, and a third time at Christie’s New York, 20th September 2002, lot 208. Compare also deep spinach-green brushpots of slightly larger size, such as two from the William Clayton collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th March 2007, lot 50; one sold in our Paris rooms, 9th June 2011, lot 159; and a third example sold twice in our London rooms and most recently in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th October 2011, lot 1910A.