A SUPERB WHITE JADE CUP QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |

the deep rounded sides rising to a straight rim, supported on four gently flared ruyi feet, the even white stone polished to an unctuous finish

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29th April 1992, lot 659.

Notable for the high-quality stone from which it has been delicately fashioned, its fine lustre and evenness of tone denotes the exceptional standard of raw materials available to skilled craftsmen in the second part of the 18th century. The small flared ruyi feet are rarely found on cups, although it is a feature more commonly seen on larger vessels; for example see a jade washer, from the De An Tang collection, included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 4, and sold in these rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1501. Compare white jade cups of similar form, but lacking the ruyi feet, such as three sold in our New York rooms, the first surmounting a tall footring, from the Estate of Caroline B. Carter, sold on 29th November 1993, lot 55, and a pair of larger size, 23rd March 2011, lot 601.