Important écran de table en jade vert épinard Dynastie Qing, époque Qianlong

de forme rectangulaire, une face finement sculptée en plusieurs niveaux de reliefs d'une scène animée représentant Yin Xi, gardien de la porte Han'gu qui apparaît derrière lui, accueillant Laozi assis sur une charrue tirée par un buffle et accompagné d'un acolyte, dans un paysage montagneux planté de pins et traversé d'un cours d'eau, sous d'épais nuages, l'autre face au pourtour incisé d'une frise de rinceaux feuillagés, pêches et chauve-souris, la belle pierre vert foncé parsemée de petites inclusions noires et quelques tâches blanches, socle en bois sculpté (2)

Collection of Robert C. Bruce (1898-1953).
Collection of Mrs. Ian Beattie.
Sotheby's London, 21st November 1961, lot 163.
Spink & Son, London.
Christie’s London, 3rd November 1969, lot 157.
(No. 147 according to the collectors' files).

International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts at Burlington House, London, 28th November 1935 to 7th March 1936, no. 2770.

Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, 1935-1936, London, 1935-1936, cat. no. 2770.

The screen is deeply carved and undercut. The stone a dark green colour with a hint of yellow. The surface well polished. There are minute fritts to the edges of the rims and corners and to the raised parts of the carving. There are small whitish imperfections to the stone on the lower right and upper right hand corvers. One C-scroll apron missing on one side of the stand.
"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 subject depicted on this rather large screen is very unusual. It depicts a scene from the life of philosopher Laozi, who during his emigration to the west and upon reaching the western frontier of the Zhou empire, was held up by Yin Xi, Guardian of the Pass (Guanling Yin Xi). He was asked to write down his ideas for Yin Xi which resulted in the first written manuscript of the Daode jing, the Scripture of the Tao and its Virtue, making Yin Xi the first recipient of this text.

In subsequent centuries, Yin Xi was known as Wenshi xiangshen, the 'Master at the Beginning of the Scripture', and elevated to the celestial rank of Wushang zhenren, the 'Highest Perfected', reflecting his supernatural stature. According to some versions, Yin Xi became Laozi's disciple, in other versions, he became one of the most prominent immortals, a teacher and master of Laozi's scriptures. He was considered a major hagiographic figure in religious Taoism, for a complete study on Yin Xi, see Livia Kohn, 'Yin Xi: The Master at the Beginning of the Scripture', in Journal of Chinese Religion, Volume 25, 1997, Issue 1, pp. 83-139. 

A green jade boulder with the same subject matter, from the Avery Brundage collection, is illustrated by M. Knight, He Li and T. Tse Bartholomew, Chinese Jades: Ming Dynasty to Early Twentieth Century from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, 2007, pl. 360. For a related subject matter on the reverse of a crane looking up at another in flight, see a white and russet jade circular screen, Qianlong, from the Musée National du Château de Fontainebleau, illustrated by M.Crick, Chine Impériale: Splendeurs de la Dynastie Qing (1644-1911), Geneva, 2014, p.153, pl.68