Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art

18
A MINIATURE LAPIS LAZULI RECTANGULAR VASE
Qianlong period, 1736-1795
清 乾 隆 1736-1795 青 金 石 方 瓶
Dimensions: 10cm high
Provenance: - Priestley & Ferraro, London
This delicately carved tool vase is of rectangular form with inverted corners,
slightly tapering towards the base, supported on four feet. The stone of a bright,
purple-blue colour suffused with gold flecks and milky-white inclusions, further
enhancing the shape of the vase.
In China, lapis lazuli is traditionally symbolic of purity and rarity. During the
Qing dynasty, it was known as ‘qingjin shi’ (blue-gold stone). Carvings in lapis
lazuli are rare and were reserved for use by the Qing imperial court. There are
no records of the use of lapis lazuli before the Qing dynasty, although beads
executed in lapis have been excavated dating to the Han dynasty, according to
Ming Wilson in ‘The Colour of Stones’, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramics
Society 1997-98, vol.62, p.34. This aura of rarity and mystery may be partly due
to the inaccessibility of the principle mines, located in the remote Badakhshan
region of north-east Afghanistan. The natural smoothness of the stone allowed
it to be polished to a high degree, as is the case in this vase, highlighting the
brilliant blue colour and the contrasting natural inclusions.