AN IMPORTANT WHITE JADE 'CHANG YI ZISUN' BI DISC INCISED MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the disc and terminal finely pierced in openwork with the four archaic script characters chang yi zisun ('To Benefit Future Generations Forever') reading vertically, surrounded on the disc by a pair of confronting phoenix clutching a small archaistic beast in their claws and grasping another in their beaks, all within a slightly recessed circular border, the first two characters on the upper crest flanked by undulating archaistic dragons entwined with a phoenix, both detailed with incised hatching, the narrow sides incised with the four-character Qianlong nianzhi mark on one side and and the eight characters zhen zi yibai liushi san hao (Number 163 of zhen) on the other, the white translucent stone finished to a smooth polish, now mounted with a small loop for suspension

There is a 1.5cm. polished chip to the edge of the mane of one archaistic dragon forming the upper crest, some minor pitting and a small pale brown inclusion on the rear edge of the opposite dragon (visible in the catalogue illustration), but overall the plaque is in very good condition. It has been adapted as a pendant and is now mounted with a small gold fitting for suspension. The actual colour is slightly warmer than 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."

This pendant embodies the numerous artefacts closely based on archaic jades and bronzes that were created during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor to satisfy his penchant for the antique. This piece is unusual for the incorporation of the two characters changyi into the elaborate scrolling phoenix terminal; for the Eastern Han prototype see one, but containing the characters Chang le and decorated with raised studs on the disc, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (I), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 217, together with another plaque with a smaller finial containing the characters yi shou, pl. 216.

Further bi discs of this type, but with all four characters Chang yi zisun carved into the disc, include one from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 127; one sold in these rooms, 27^th April 2003, lot 3, and included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade from the De An Tang Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 21; another in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, illustrated in James C.S. Lin, The Immortal Stone. Chinese Jades from the Neolithic Period to the Twentieth Century, Cambridge, 2009, pl. 77a and b; and a fourth example, from the L. de Luca collection, sold in these rooms, 8^th April 2011, lot 2805.