A FINELY CARVED PAIR OF WHITE JADE 'LONG-TAILED BIRD' BOXES AND COVERS QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of compressed globular form supported on a square-cut footring, the domed covers very finely carved on top with a low relief medallion within a raised border, each enclosing two long-tailed birds perched or flying around a fruiting tree issuing from a pierced garden rock, one box with an additional spray of chrysanthemum and the other with a cluster of rohdea japonica, the sides left plain save for a thin stepped lip encircling the rim and repeated around the box, the smoothly polished stone of ideal even-white colour with a few icy inclusions and russet-'skin' highlights

The Songzhutang Collection.

The Splendour of Jade, The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, no. 105.

There are a few very occasional minor nibbles and nicks along the edges of the inner rims, predominantly on one box, but overall the two boxes and covers are in very good condition. The jade colour on both boxes is very white and close to 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."

The elegant bird and flower scenes adorning the covers of these boxes set them apart as particularly fine examples of jade vessels created for the Qianlong Emperor. Although they do not bear reign marks, virtually unblemished and evenly-toned jade stones of the present size with such skilful carving are characteristic of some of the finest imperial pieces of the Qianlong reign. The craftsman has brought attention to the luminosity of the stone by restricting the carving to low relief scenes on the tops of the covers.

 

The gentle scene of birds and flowers reflects one of the Qianlong Emperor’s favoured themes in jade carving, the other being archaism. Craftsmen working in the imperial jade workshops were encouraged to model their designs after archaic bronzes and court paintings and they sought to capture a level of naturalism in jade carving that was equal to that achieved in painting with ink and brush on paper. The scene of birds perched gracefully on flowering branches can be seen to have been inspired by flower paintings of the Song period and the carver successfully captures the different textures of the varying elements.

 

Compare a slightly smaller box of this type, carved with a similar floral scene on the cover and the bajixiang on the sides, included in the exhibition A Romance of Jade from the De An Tang Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 108. Related bird and flower scenes were also employed on various other jade objects; for example see a moon-shape vase and cover in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages: Connoisseurship of Chinese Jades, vol. 12, Hong Kong, 1997, pl. 24; and a circular panel depicting a bat amongst flowers on one side, also included in the exhibition A Romance of Jade from the De An Tang Collection, op. cit., cat. no. 25.

 

Further boxes of this form include one carved with a stylised shou medallion surrounded by five bats, from the T.B. Kitson collection, sold twice in our London rooms, 30^th May 1961, lot 428, and 24^th February 1970, lot 116, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27^th November 2007, lot 1519; and another with a ‘double happiness’ character on the cover, sold at Christie’s New York, 15^th September 2011, lot 1004.

 

Songbirds are symbolic of longevity, faithfulness, impartiality and filial duty; thus these boxes may have been presented on the occasion of a marriage or anniversary.