A WHITE JADE 'LANDSCAPE' TABLE SCREEN QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY |

of rectangular form arched at the top, finely and delicately carved with a mountainous scene of craggy peaks and ravines, a waterfall cascading down the side of a jagged mountain pooling at the base, the curved lines of rockwork and waves mirroring the sway of trunks and branches of two gnarled trees, the top centered with a sun high in the sky, all framed by rolling clouds at the top, the reverse similarly worked with a night scene detailing a waterfall flowing down a cliff amidst foliate vines, a crescent moon in the distance, the stone an even celadon-white, wood stand (2)

Collection of Samuel. M (1830-1914) and Matilda (1837-1912) Nickerson. 
Gifted to The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, in 1900 (acc. no. 1900.742).

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel M. Nickerson: presented to The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 1900, cat. no. 11.

The screen is in overall good condition with only minute nicks and a couple small chips along the edges and high relief, and a slight rounding to the lower corners from expected wear. The stone is slightly milkier and more even in tone compared to the illustration in the printed catalog. One decorative flange of the stand has losses, and the other three flanges are loose.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present table screen is carved from a lustrous white stone, perfectly suited for illumination by natural light. Free from dark occlusions, the white jade allows the suns rays to filter through the screen, bringing forth the features of the carved landscapes and the varying degrees of the relief. The backlit landscapes of the table screen provided beauty as well as images of tranquil environs away from the responsibilities of court service, to the scholar-official who would have placed this in his studio and gazed upon it throughout the day. This particular screen also offers the benefit of dual scenes, depending on which side of the screen is viewed. The arced upper edge of the present screen is a feature that appears on a number of jade screens of the 18th and 19th centuries. These screens are almost always carved of pale jade and bear images of landscapes on their surfaces. Compare, for instance, a white jade table screen carved with a pair of horses by a river at the foot of a mountain, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, exhibited and published in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 70. Additional examples include a screen with a landscape scene very similar to the present version, formerly sold by C. T. Loo & Co., and later sold at Parke Bernet, 12th January, 1973, lot 111; a Qianlong period example carved with three sages traversing a mountainous landscape, offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 11th April 2008, lot 2814; a pair sold at Christie's London, 11th May 2010, lot 145; an immortality-themed screen with cranes, lingzhi, and pines, sold at Christie's Paris, 13th June 2013, lot 164; and one carved with boys bathing an elephant in a river, sold in these rooms, 17th-18th March 2015, lot 359.