A JADE AND JICHIMU HATSTAND WITH IMPERIAL POEMS QING DYNASTY

finely carved with a domed hat rest with a pair of ferocious dragons in relief on a ground of swirling clouds, circling a central medallion with the characters Qianlong yuyong ('For the Imperial Use of the Qianlong Emperor'), raised on a slender jichimu shaft incised with two Imperial poems picked-out with gold, followed by the date dingwei year of the Qianlong reign, all supported on a thick circular jade base further decorated with dragons and clouds, the stone of greyish celadon tone with natural veining

Sotheby's New York, 3rd June 1987, lot 292.

The hatstand is in overall good condition. There are some very minute nicks and bruises to the jades, together with some small chips and expected age cracks to the wood. Most of the original gilding is well preserved.
"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."

See a pair of similar jade hatstands of this design and proportions, but with silver-inlaid inscription and a jade inlaid wood base, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Beijing, 2002, pl. 85, and photographed in situ in the Sanxi Tang Room of Three Rarities in the Forbidden City, published in the exhibition catalogue Imperial China. The Living Past, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 1992, p. 107; and another example in the British Museum, London, included in the Oriental Ceramics Society exhibition Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 463. For a hatstand of this form attributed to the Qing Dynasty, but with a plain hardwood shaft and base, see one published in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 51, and sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27th November 2007, lot 1536.