A FINE AND RARE SPINACH-GREEN JADE BRUSHPOT QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of cylindrical form raised on three ogee-bracket feet, the exterior deftly carved in various levels of relief with scholars engaged in various leisurely pursuits, including one painting at a table within a retreat, others resting in a forest of pine and paulownia trees, further scholars on a rocky outcrop beside a river and some playing weiqi and conversing on a bridge, the stone of a deep spinach-green tone, with darker green mottled inclusions

Collection of P. Ayers.

Sotheby's London, 31st January 1961, lot 177 (£2,900).

John Sparks Ltd., London, 7th June 1961 (£3,335).

This brushpot is in good condition, but there is a flaw running across the rim and horizontally below the rim ( 3.5cm) to one side. There are two further flaws to the stone to the underside of the base to one side (8.5cm and 6cm).
"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."

Impressive for its large size and skilfully carved scene that unravels like a scroll painting with each turn of the vessel, this brushpot is a fine example of the level of expertise achieved in this medium during the Qianlong period. It is carefully composed to depict an animated group of scholars and their assistants engaged in various activities in a lofty landscape. An ethereal and distant world is skilfully captured through the undercutting of the outlines of the rocks and figures, which create dramatic and mysterious contrasts.

 

The decoration of this piece follows in the tradition of Chinese painting with the surface of the vessel treated as a horizontal scroll. With each turn of the brushpot a scene in the narrative appears, thus making it an object that can be appreciated from different angles. Brushpots were essential tools for the literati and grew in popularity under the Qianlong emperor, who considered himself a great classical scholar, poet, calligrapher and art connoisseur. Apart from his scholarly interests, Qianlong also saw himself as the religious leader of the empire. The subject matter of the retired scholar was one he particularly favoured, revealing his desire to combine his personal and private inspirations with his public image.

 

A spinach green jade brushpot carved with a similar motif was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 415, together with one, from the collections of E.L. Paget, Sir J. Buchanan-Jardine, Sir Bernard Eckstein and Sir Jonathan Woolf, cat. no. 413, later included in the exhibition The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, Sotheby’s, London, 2013, cat. no. 45; two were sold in our New York rooms, the first, from the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, 18th March 2008, lot 16, and the second, 22nd March 1995, lot 28; and a further example was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 29th November 1979, lot 449.

 

Further related examples include a slightly larger brushpot, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Jade, vol. 9, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 7, together with another of similar size but carved in openwork, pl. 8; a third, formerly in the Fonthill collection, sold at Christie’s London, 18th October 1971, lot 145; and another sold at Christie’s New York, 25th March 1998, lot 349.