A CELADON AND RUSSET JADE 'MAGNOLIA' VASE QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY |

well worked as a tall magnolia bloom with layered petals forming the walls of the vessel, the petals incised with veins and rendered curled at the rim, the bloom further depicted borne and supported on a gnarled branch issuing two smaller budding magnolias flanking the vessel, the pale celadon stone with icy inclusions and attractive russet patches, wood stand

The vase is in good condition, with only minor flakes to the extremities/edges and possible reworking to the edge of a petal just below the rim.
"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."

Magnolia, or yulan in Chinese, is an emblem of purity and is a pictorial pun to represent the Chinese word for jade, yu. Compare a related white jade vase in the form of a magnolia blossom in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, illustrated in The T.T. Tsui Galleries of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 115; and another example sold in our New York rooms, 19th March 2007, lot 36.  A magnolia-form vase with a sprig of orchid can be seen in the Qing dynasty painting Good News of Harvest from the Qing court collection, now preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei; for detail of the painting, see The Enchanting Splendor of Vases and Planters: A Special Exhibition of Flower Vessels from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 2014, p. 233.