清雍正 瑪瑙橢圓形洗 《雍正年製》款

the translucent stone with natural banded ripples of creamy yellow tones on a sepia ground, superbly carved in the form of a slender oval basin, the shallow rounded sides elegantly rising from a slightly recessed base of conforming shape, the brilliant stone polished and patinated to a lustrous finish, the underside incised in seal script with a horizontal four-character seal mark

英國私人收藏，1950年代以前購入

There is a shallow hairline of 1.3 cm to the exterior of the rim with very tiny associated losses, and the hairline does not pass through to the interior. The base also has significant veining, comprising a star vein crack of approx. 6.2 cm running across the reign mark.
"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."

此器光素無紋飾，打磨輕巧細緻，充分體現了雍正皇帝對瑪瑙器製作「隨形式往薄裏磨做」的要求。 黃色花斑、褐色紋理渾然天成，彰顯瑪瑙晶瑩剔透之質。

1970年陝西省西安市何家村唐代窖藏出土一件獸首瑪瑙盃，見《中華國寶 : 陜西珍貴文物集成》，陜西，1999年，卷4，頁269。北京故宮博物院藏同樣刻雍正款瑪瑙器， 見《華夏古玉》， 卷11，香港，1996年，圖版28。七件造型各異的瑪瑙盌，藏台北故宮博物院，曾展於《雍正：清世宗文物大展》，國立故宮博物院，台北，2009年，編號II-61-67；另有一套盃盤，編號II-70及水滴，編號11-69。

一件帶乾隆款盞托藏於倫敦維多利亞與艾爾伯特博物館，見劉明倩，《Chinese Jades》，倫敦，2004年，圖版95，圖版94另有小盃，傳為宋代器。《清代宮廷生活》，香港，1985年，圖版280著錄了一件乾隆時大臣進獻的瑪瑙花口盌，可資比對。

瑪瑙顏色紋理豐富多彩，可與玉媲美。劉明倩在書中提到東漢許慎在《說文解字》中對玉的描述：「石之美者有五德。潤澤以溫，仁之方也；勰理自外，可以知中，義之方也；其聲舒揚，專以遠聞，智之方也；不撓而折，勇之方也，銳廉而不忮，絜之方也……」此等描述亦適用於瑪瑙（前書頁97）。中國古代瑪瑙器的發展歷史悠久，源遠流長。據科學的考古發掘，最早出現於漢朝。