WINTER EXHIBITION 2008 - Roger Keverne

74
A good jade ewer
Ming dynasty
Length: 5B in, 13 cm
after an archaic bronze yi vessel, of broad
oval form, with a curved lip and a handle
in the form of a chilong, all standing on a
straight foot. The dragon rests its broad
muzzle on the lip, which it grasps with its
forepaws. It has a single curling horn, flaming
haunches, a long tail and an incised mane.
The sides of the vessel are worked in
contrasting low relief with two chilong
amid scrolling clouds, all beneath a band
of T-pattern. The semi-translucent stone is
an olive-grey tone with some deeper
charcoal inclusions.
Formerly in a European private collection.
A very similar example is illustrated in Xue,
Zhongguo Yuqi Shangjian, no. 568, p. 292;
and for related ewers, see Great National
Treasures of China: Masterworks in the
National Palace Museum, no. 70, p. 148;
and Jadeware (II): The Complete Collection
of Treasures of the Palace Museum,
no. 177, pp. 220–1.
75
A fine jade pouring vessel
17th century
Length: 4N in, 12.1 cm
in the form of a large, open lotus leaf, with
curling edges. A leaf, pod and flower are
worked in high relief on the base, their
stems tied to form a handle, and a smaller
leaf bends upwards to form the thumbpiece.
The leaves are incised with veins.
The thinly worked, semi-translucent stone
is a greenish-white tone with cloudy grey
and oatmeal inclusions.
A related Southern Song dynasty example,
in the collection of the Victoria and Albert
Museum, is illustrated in Clunas, “Jade
Carvers and their Customers in Ming
China”, fig. 1.
ROGER KEVERNE WINTER 2008 95