A magnificent very pale green jade marriage bowl. Qianlong.  Photo Bonhams

Superbly carved from a single stone of extremely pale whiteish-green jade, the deep bowl raised on four square-sectioned curved feet with two handles each formed as a single delicately-detailed butterfly with two looping antennae curving over the spreading wings reaching around the sides of the bowl, each suspending a single loose ring, the interior intricately decorated in low relief with blossoming flowers and a smaller bud all set within a skilful and complex design of overlapping and intertwining foliage, the plain exterior softly polished to exhibit the quality of the stone, carved wood stand. 21.5cm (8½in) wide (2). Lot 20. Estimate: £300,000 - 500,000 / CNY 3.0 million - 5.0 million / HK$ 3.7 million - 6.2 million

 清乾隆 青玉雕花卉紋雙蝶耳活環洗 

Provenance: acquired from John Sparks Ltd., London, on 29 November 1954 
A European private collection and thence by descent

The very fine jade bowl with its superbly carved butterfly handles belongs to the category of 'marriage' bowls alternatively carved with butterfly, bat or dragon handles, popular in the Qing Dynasty Imperial court. The two butterfly handles suspending loose rings in mirror image, symbolise 'Joyful encounter', 喜相逢 Xi xiangfeng, and by extension marital happiness. For a related example of the use of butterfly handles see a white jade censer and cover with four butterfly handles suspending loose rings, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware (II), Beijing, 2008, pl.27.

The very fine even quality of the jade stone is evident in the craftsman's decision to intricately carve only the interior and handles, whilst abstaining from carving the exterior, thus allowing the appreciation of the even stone.

Compare a larger white jade 'marriage' bowl, Qianlong, with butterfly handles but uncarved in the interior; and another slightly larger white jade 'marriage' bowl, Qianlong, with butterfly handles but carved at the interior with twin fish, respectively sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lots 3565 and 3641. For another smaller example with butterfly handles and carved around the sides and the interior, from the collection of Simon and Alan Hartman, New York, see Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1503.

 Bonhams. 17 May 2012 10 a.m. London, New Bond Street. Fine Chinese Art