Footnotes

清乾隆 白玉雕八吉祥紋獸耳活環洗

Provenance 來源:
Acquired prior to 27 November 1946 (date of valuation by Camerons Ltd., London), and thence by descent

於1946年11月27日前購得（此為倫敦Camerons Ltd.為其作估價之日期），並由家族繼承

The present bowl demonstrates the highly skilled craftsmanship achieved at the height of the Qing dynasty, during the celebrated Qianlong reign. This is exemplified in the remarkable carving of the mythical beast loose ring handles, the evenly spaced Eight Buddhist Emblems on the exterior, finely balancing the symbolic embellishment of the exterior yet successfully allowing the fine quality of the white jade to show at the same time.

It is likely that the present bowl was carved after the Qianlong emperor's campaign for the pacification of the Dzungars and Xinjiang (1755-1759), as this campaign secured control over the area of Khotan, allowing direct access to greater quantities of larger-sized high quality jade and therefore for the production of generously proportioned carvings and vessels such as the present lot compared to previous periods. For related jade 'marriage' bowls from the Qing Court Collection, see Zhen Xinmiao, Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, Qing Dynasty, vol.10, Beijing, 2010, pls.180, 198 and 205. The sheer opulence of the present bowl is emphasised by the generous proportions of the well-hollowed interior, and the significant wastage of the prized jade stone in the carving of the flanking mythical beast loose ring handles, thus creating a spacial depth of form. The five ruyi-shaped supports also raise the bowl, allowing a greater appreciation of the well carved lappet border and finely balanced suspended rings.

This magnificent jade bowl belongs to the group of 'marriage' bowls alternatively carved with butterfly, bat or dragon handles, popular in the Qing Court. Just as with butterfly-handled bowls, the two mythical beasts also represent the concept of happiness at union. This combined with the auspicious Eight Buddhist Emblems: Pair of Fish, Victory Banner, Wheel of Dharma, Parasol, Lotus, Endless Knot, Treasure Vase and Conch Shell, would have been a particularly fitting present on the event of a wedding celebration.

Compare a white jade 'marriage' bowl carved with similar mythical beast-head handles, in the De An Tang collection, included in the Palace Museum exhibition A Romance with Jade, Beijing, 2004, Catalogue no.7. See also a related pale green jade 'marriage' bowl, 18th century, but carved on the exterior with leafy blossom sprays and lingzhi and on the interior with lingzhi, sold at our London rooms, 17 May 2012, lot 40.

青白玉質，洗圓身，敞口，底承五如意雲足，器身兩側作獸耳，獸耳下有活環。器身外壁一周浮雕八吉祥紋，近足出雕蓮瓣一周。器內壁光素無紋，透露玉質自身瑩潤之光澤。

此洗所用玉質上佳。乾隆二十四年平定新疆地區準格爾部和回部動亂後，大量上等玉料進入宮廷，促進了宮廷玉器的製作生產。清宮舊藏中類似的玉雕洗，可見《故宮博物院藏品大系，清代玉器10》，北京，2010年，圖版180，198及205。工匠刻意不在此洗內壁作裝飾，以最大空間展示玉質本身，同事其活環獸耳及如意雲足又足顯工匠精工，為難得的一器。

傳世品中類似之例，見北京故宮博物院展覽圖錄，《玉緣：德安堂藏玉》，北京，2004年，編號7。另見一件18世紀青玉雕靈芝洗，售於倫敦邦瀚斯，2012年5月17日，編號40。