Beschreibung:

Lot details China, 1736-1795. Superbly carved, the thinly walled flared neck and spreading foot as overlapping petals while three chilong in high relief encircle the convex mid-section, one with a lingzhi sprig in its mouth and another a young cub lacking the horn. Note the ruyi-shaped ears of the two larger beasts. The translucent stone finely polished to a subtle luster and of a pale celadon tone with faint russet and icy veins as well as cloudy inclusions. Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London, United Kingdom, 23 September 1966. Gordon W. Quance LLM, acquired from the above and thence by descent. A copy of the original invoice from Spink & Son Ltd., addressed to G. W. Quance, dated 23 September 1966, confirming the dating above, and with a stamped, handwritten, and signed note stating that payment was received on 22 September 1966, accompanies this lot. Gordon William Quance (1931-2017) was an English lawyer who lived in Birmingham and built a fine collection of Chinese art during the 1960s, often purchasing from Spink & Son and other renowned houses in London. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, few tiny nibbles to edges, the stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Weight: 304.6 g (the vase) and 103.9 g (the stand) Dimensions: Height 16 cm (excl. stand) and 18 cm (incl. stand) With a finely carved and fitted wood stand. The stand additionally filled with a weight of some kind. (2) Deceptively simple in its refined form and design, the present vase displays the technical prowess and artistic imagination of jade carvers during the Qianlong period. The shape and motifs draw inspiration from archaic bronze wine vessels, gu, made in the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties; the robust shape of the bronze prototype was transformed into a graceful barbed silhouette that resembles a magnolia blossom. Deftly carved with motifs of the hallmark of the Shang and Zhou styles, the result is a vase that appears modern yet steeped in classical symbolism, skillfully adapted to suit the refined taste of the Qianlong Emperor. This magnificent vase represents one of the most graceful and successful reinterpretations of the bronze gu shape and displays the strictly antiquarian nature that characterizes jade carvings of this period. An erudite scholar and passionate collector of antiques, the Qianlong Emperor’s love for the past was grounded in his admiration for Chinese history and influenced by Confucian philosophy, which emphasized the study of history in the pursuit of virtue. The Qianlong Emperor actively influenced jade production, criticizing the ‘vulgar’ style popular in the 18th century as excessively ornate, and urging craftsmen to study antique vessels and adapt them to the jade medium. The Xiqing gujian (Catalogue of Xiqing antiquities), which was compiled by court artists between 1749 and 1755 and comprised line drawings of some 1500 objects in the imperial collection, was circulated among craftsmen who were encouraged to take inspiration from it. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 23 June 2008, lot 8119 Price: USD 27,000 or approx. EUR 35,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A yellow jade gu-form vase, 18th/19th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and manner of carving with similar overlapping petals and clambering chilong. Note the yellow color of the jade and the similar size (18 cm). Note also that this lot was sold almost 15 years ago and would probably achieve a higher result today. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1106 Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A pale greyish-green jade archaistic fluted gu-form vase, 18th/19th century Expert remark: Compare the related, though less pale color of the jade, as well a