A KHOTAN-GREEN JADE ARCHAISTIC HANGING VASE AND COVER, YOU INCISED SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

of rectangular section and archaistic you form, the exterior of the bulbous lower body worked with a band enclosing a pair of taotie masks below a pair of high-relief lions' heads on the main sides, their heads bowed and gaze oriented downwards, the shorter sides of the waist flanked by a pair of scroll loop handles interlinked with a squared handle in the form of a pair of confronting dragons' heads flanking a ring, the well-fitted cover further detailed with archaistic designs and surmounted with a finial bordered with a key-fret border, the recessed base incised with a four-character horizontal seal mark, the stone of an even sea-green colour

The vase and cover are in good condition with just occasional expected insignificant nicks to the extremities, including the rim and footring of the vase. There is also a natural flaw with a minor nick along the edge of one side. The catalogue illustration is slightly warmer than the actual colour of the stone.
"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."

Perfectly proportioned and expertly finished to a lustrous sheen, this vase belongs to a group of jade vessels made under the Qianlong Emperor that successfully combine archaic forms and designs with contemporary styles in response to the Emperor’s eclectic taste. The craftsman of the present piece has skilfully taken the large form of archaic bronze you vessels, and combined it with a taotie mask that has been simplified into an elegant, almost abstract motif. By reducing the size and refining the design, the craftsman has created a delicate jade piece that is far-removed from the imposing nature of the bronze original.  

This vase was fashioned from a jade boulder of large size and attractive even colour. Such jade boulders were frequently sent as tribute gifts to the court from the jade-rich territories of Khotan and Yarkand, areas opened only after the Qing army’s conquest of the north-western territories. The finest quality pebbles were then selected to be carved by artisans working in the Palace Workshop, in the jade workshops of Suzhou, or in those belonging to the Huai and Changlu Administrations. The finished product was later presented to the emperor for approval and displayed in the Palace.

You-shaped vases with Qianlong marks and of the period are rare and are more commonly known unmarked; see two white jade vases of this form, but with a plain swing handle, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Yang Boda, Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages. Connoisseurship of Chinese Jades, vol. 12, Hong Kong, 1997, pls. 48 and 49; one sold in our London rooms, 1st July 1969, lot 71; another sold in our New York rooms, 28th November 1969, lot 181; and a third sold at Christie’s New York, 24th March 2011, lot 1527. See also a white jade you-shaped vase from the estate of Baron Pierre de Menasce, sold at Doyle New York, 17th March 2014, lot 273.

Compare also a bronze you vessel of related form and decoration cast in a Shang style, attributed to the Southern Song to Ming dynasties, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Through the Prism of the Past. Antiquarian Trends in Chinese Art of the 16th to 18th Century, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2003, cat. no. II-06, after the drawing printed in Xuanhe Antiquities, cat. no. II-05.