A SUPERB WHITE JADE ARCHAISTIC 'TAOTIE' INCENSE BURNER AND COVER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |

with a deep rounded body resting on three short cabriole legs issuing from leonine animal masks, flanked by a pair of pierced upright everted handles, the body worked in low relief with archaistic taotie masks rendered in angular scrollwork, the domed cover similarly decorated with taotie masks and surmounted by a flared finial, the stone of an even white colour with icy inclusions, wood stand

The incense burner and cover are in very good condition. There are expected minute nicks to the fragile extremities, especially the edges of the cover.
"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 piece embodies the brilliant creativity of Qing craftsmen in its combination of contemporary and archaic motifs. Continuing the Song tradition of reinterpreting large archaic ritual bronzes into relatively small jade vessels, this incense burner is carved with the archaic taotie motif, which has been further abstracted and rendered with eyelashes and a lingzhi-shaped nose. In response to the ‘vulgarisation’ of Chinese jade carving in the 18th century, characterised by decorative objects with ornate high-relief designs, the Qianlong Emperor commissioned a large number of jades which were inspired by the forms and designs of antiquity. Jade carvers were encouraged to move away from the ‘new style’ by studying archaic bronze vessels in the Palace collection or in illustrated woodblock prints, and adapting them to the medium of jade. Inspired in both form and decoration by archaic bronze ding, this incense burner epitomises this trend.

While jade incense burners are often unique, their size and decoration depending entirely on the jade stone used to make them, the proportion of this piece, its form and motif are closely related to a white jade incense burner in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi qianji [Complete collection of Chinese jade], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 355. See also a jade incense burner of similar form and with strap handles, but decorated with raised bow strings on the body, also in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated ibid., pl. 347; and a spinach-green jade example, carved with taotie divided by raised flanges, and the cover with three rams, sold in our London rooms, 12th March 1982, lot 22.