清乾隆 白玉弦紋盌配碧玉座

comprising: a bowl with shallow rounded sides rising from a short straight foot to a flared rim, finely picked out with a raised double-rib band bordering the rim, the stepped base with a countersunk circular centre surrounded by a slightly concave border, the lustrous stone of an even white colour; and a well-fitted spinach-green jade stand of circular section, supported on a splayed foot reticulated to simulate stylised leaves, the stone of a dark grass-green colour with black speckles

The bowl and stand are both in overall good condition.
"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."

Perfectly proportioned and smoothly polished to a lustrous sheen, this bowl has been carved from a superior white stone of even colour and hence embodies the finest in 18th century jade carving. The sensitive modelling and restrained decoration reflects the craftsman’s respect for the stone itself. The intricately carved spinach-green jade stand cleverly contrasts the luminous white stone. White jade boulders of this exceptional quality became available in larger quantities after the Western campaigns, which subjugated the Dzungars and secured control over the area of Khotan and Yarkand, in present day Xinjiang. Prior to the conquest, jade came in relatively small boulders to the Imperial Workshops and many poems of the Emperor deplore the scarcity of the material.

The simple yet elegant motif of two raised lines echoes the decoration on archaic bronzes from the Western Zhou period (c. 1050-771 BC) and large bronze basins cast with raised bands produced during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 9). The Qianlong Emperor was particularly fond of carved designs that had roots in archaism and is also known to have provided drafts of designs that were to be followed by the artisans working in the Palace Workshop and in the jade workshops of Suzhou.   

Bowls of this form and decoration are unusual and no other closely related example appears to have been published. Compare a similarly carved bowl, but with handles modelled in the form of shou characters, sold in our London rooms, 29th October 1982, lot 180; and a slightly smaller one attributed to the late 18th or early 19th century, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th September 1992, lot 787.