AN INSCRIBED WHITE JADE PLAQUE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD, DATED 1780

carved in various levels of relief, the front side depicting the port city of Haimen, surrounded by a sea of breaking waves, the upper right section with an imperial poem entitled Haimen An yi jueju (Seven-character quatrain composed at Haimen An), with two seals reading Suo bao wei xian (Only treasure the sage) and Qianlong yubi (In the Imperial Hand of Qianlong) and dated gengzi year, corresponding to 1780, the reverse with four boats on a sea of breaking waves, the stone of an even white to pale celadon tone, ivory stand

Collection of Sir George Cooper, Bt., Hursley, Winchester.

S. Howard Hansford, Chinese Carved Jades, London, 1968, pls 88 and 89.

There is a re-polished/reduced area to the top left corner (3.5cm by 1.5cm) and there is minor chips to the lower left corner.
"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 screen is striking for its detailed and realistic carving, which depicts the port city of Haimen, located on the Yangtze river in Jiangsu province and renowned for its production and trade of cotton during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The dexterity of the carver is evidenced in his ability to capture the different textures of rocks and turbulent waves, while the linearity of the composition, as seen in the rendering of the buildings, suggests that the scene was inspired by contemporary paintings or woodblock prints.

 

The Qianlong Emperor advocated that jade mountains and carved panels should carry the spirit of paintings by famous past masters. It is recorded that a number of classical paintings from the Emperor's own collection were ordered to be reproduced in jade, such as the celebrated painting Travellers in the Mountains, by the eminent Five Dynasties painter Guan Tong (907-960). The harmonious composition of this panel is a good example of the type of carving the Qianlong Emperor envisioned.

 

A similar screen, carved with a mountain pass, and also inscribed and gilded with a poem, included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade from the De An Tang collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 63, was sold in these rooms, 6th December 1994, lot 79; another was sold at Christie’s London, 6th November 2012, lo 124; and two, but lacking the poetic inscription, were sold at Christie’s New York, the first, 22nd/23rd September 1988, lot 245, and the second, 27th November 1991, lot 162. Compare also screens carved with scholars and immortals in desolate landscapes, such as one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition The Refined Taste of the Emperor, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 67.

The inscribed poem was taken from Yuzhi shiji (Collected Works of the Qianlong Emperor), section IV, juan 69.