A SUPERBLY CARVED AND EXTREMELY RARE BANDED AGATE OVAL BRUSHWASHER INCISED SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

the translucent stone with natural banded ripples of creamy yellow tones on a sepia ground, superbly carved in the form of a slender oval basin, the shallow rounded sides elegantly rising from a slightly recessed base of conforming shape, the brilliant stone polished and patinated to a lustrous finish, the underside incised in seal script with a horizontal four-character seal mark

A private British collection, acquired prior to the 1950s.

There is a shallow hairline of 1.3 cm to the exterior of the rim with very tiny associated losses, and the hairline does not pass through to the interior. The base also has significant veining, comprising a star vein crack of approx. 6.2 cm running across the reign mark.
"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 current agate brushwasher is of exceptional size and quality, superior to the other small number of examples recorded in museum and private collections. For an example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages, vol. 11, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 28; and for seven bowls of various forms in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see Harmony and Integrity. The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2009, cat. nos. II-61-67, together with a small cup and saucer, cat. no. II-70, and a water dropper, cat. no. II-69. For an example sold at auction, see a cup and dish from the collection of Sir Adrian and Lady Holman, sold at Christie's Hong Jong, 26th April 2004, lot 1125.

A bowl stand, with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is illustrated in Ming Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, pl. 95, together with a fluted cup attributed to the Song dynasty, pl. 94. See also a lobed agate bowl offered as tribute by a high official during the reign of Qianlong illustrated in Qingdai gongting shenghuo, Hong Kong, 1985, pl. 280. 

Treasured for its colour and pattern, agate is one of several hard stones that were valued as much as jade. Ming Wilson quotes the Shuowen jeizi, the first Chinese dictionary from the 1st century AD, describing yu (jade) as 'a beautiful stone with five virtues – smooth, straightforward, clear-sounding, unbending and sharp'; a description that can be applied to many other hardstones including agate (see ibid., p. 97). Agate is recorded as being used from as early as the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).

For a possible prototype, which showcases the craftsman's ability to manipulate the natural coloured layers of the stone to its aesthetic advantage, see an agate vessel unearthed from a Tang tomb in the Eastern suburb of Xi'an city, illustrated in National Treasure Collection of Rare Cultural Relics of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, 1999, vol. 4, p. 269.