A WHITE JADE 'LOTUS' STEM CUP MING DYNASTY |

the flaring U-shaped cup finely carved in high relief around the exterior with two registers of lotus petals, the tips gently curling for a fluted effect, the interior of the cup smooth, all supported atop an integral slender splayed foot with a rope-twist band in high relief around the center above a band of incised pendent leaves, the base carved with the characters qian shou ('a thousand years of longevity') in seal script within a square, the stone a translucent pale beige-white color flecked with brown

Anunt Hengtrakul, New York.

Robert P. Youngman, The Youngman Collection of Chinese Jades from Neolithic to Qing, Chicago, 2008, pl. 207.

The stem cup is in good condition with only a few minute nicks (as expected) and a fine russet-colored fissure from the rim (length approx. 4 cm). The color of the stone is whiter than in the illustration in the printed catalogue.
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.

Jade stem cups of the Ming dynasty are rare, and the present cup belongs to a particularly small subtype. The only other known example of this design, albeit slightly taller and carved with a different variety of petal, was in the collection of Mr. and Ms. Alfred Clark, exhibited in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935-36, cat. no. 2819, and later sold at Christie's London, 10th June 1996, lot 143. A related subtype of Ming jade stem cups share this same general form — including the proportions, intimate scale, banded stem, and flaring foot — but have lobed sides, and the exterior of these cups are carved in low relief with floral sprays and auspicious characters. Examples of this type include a celadon jade version in the collection of the Tianjin Museum of Art, published in Zhongguo bowuguan congshu: Tianjinshi yishu bowuguan [Chinese Museums Series: Tianjin City Art Museum], vol. 6, Beijing, 1994, cat. no. 218; and a pale grayish-green jade cup sold at Christie's New York, 14th September 2017, lot 724.