Lot 86. A magnificent large pale greenish-white jade 'prunus' trunk-form brush pot, 18th-19th century; 21cm (8 1/4in) high. Estimate: HK$1,800,000.00 - HK$2,400,000.00 (€ 200,000 - 270,000). Sold for HK$ 4,300,000 (€ 482,723). © Bonhams.

Of irregular cylindrical section, the thick-walled scholarly vessel skillfully carved as a section of a gnarled prunus tree trunk, the exterior naturalistically carved around the sides in high relief with blossoming branches growing in different directions, the natural grain and crevices of the tree trunk vividly depicted, the centre of the base slightly recessed, the semi-translucent stone of even white tone with some white speckles and russet inclusions. 

Provenance: Puwei (1880–1936), Prince Kung (Gong) of the First Rank, by repute
Yamanaka and Co. Ltd., New York, by repute (possibly, American Art Galleries, New York, The Remarkable Collection of the Imperial Prince Kung of China: A Wonderful Treasury of Celestial Art 27 February 1913, lot 130)
Sir Bernard Eckstein, by repute
Edward I. Farmer, New York, by repute
Mrs Sidney G. deKay, by repute
Stanley Charles Nott, The House of Jade Ltd., New York, circa late 1940s/1950s
Mrs Lucille Nott, 11 January 1966
Christie's New York, 20-21 March 2014, lot 2521
An important Asian private collection.

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Stanley Charles Nott, The House of Jade Ltd., Exhibition of Rare Chinese Jades, New York, exhibition brochure late 1940s/1950s.

The House of Jade Ltd., New York, circa late 1940s/1950s showing lot 86.

The House of Jade Ltd., Exhibition of Rare Chinese Jades, New York, exhibition brochure late 1940s/1950s.

Note: Dr Stanley Charles Nott was one of the leading dealers in jade and authored a number of pioneering reference publications in the field from the late 1920s to the late 1940s, including Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, London, 1936. His gallery 'The House of Jade Ltd., was located at 17 East 42nd Street, New York. A rare surviving brochure of the late 1940s/1950s illustrates the present jade brush pot three times, devoting two full pages and also showing it in-situ at Nott's gallery. In this publication Nott describes the vessel as follows:

'A Massive Altar Shan-Lei in the form of the Prunus Trunk in bud and blossom. This vessel was a type of temple vat in which the Yueh wine was stored for use during the Tsin service. Shun Chih, circa 1600 A.D.'

Stanley Charles Nott.

The present jade brush pot is notable for its impressive size and weight, and is a very rare example of its type. The use of very large jades carvings became was made possible after the Qianlong emperor's conquest of the Dzungar Khanate, now known as Xinjiang, between 1755 and 1759. The master craftsman superbly integrated any natural flaws into the relief carved design whilst leaving the finer jade stone areas unadorned.

Compare with a slightly larger (22.3cm high) but slender green jade brush pot, mid-Qing dynasty, carved with the trunks of a pine tree along the sides, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade 9 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, p.25, no.4. 

Compare also with a related but smaller white jade pine tree-trunk brush pot, Kangxi (15.5cm high), which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1603. Another but much smaller white and russet jade 'prunus trunk' vase, 18th century (12.5cm high), was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2180.

A rare white jade Pine-tree trunk brushpot, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm.) high. Sold for HKD 1,147,500 at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1603. © Christie's Image Ltd 2008.

Of slightly irregular oval section, well carved as a segment of a hollowed pine tree trunk with the scores and knots to the surface of the bark clearly defined, enveloped with mature knotted pine branches emerging from the sides and extending under the base, the white material suffused with pale brown inclusions. 

Note: While brushpots carved in bamboo and various hardwoods depicting this subject of this period are quite common, it is very unusual to find such an example carved in jade. Another example dating to the Kangxi period from a private collection is illustrated by J. Rawson, Chinese Jade, Great Britain, 1995, p. 409, fig. 3.

A white and russet jade 'prunus trunk' vase, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 4 7/8 in. (12.5 cm.) high. Sold for HKD 1,100,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2180. © Christie's Image Ltd 2012.

The vase of irregular section is well carved in the form of a prunus tree trunk, surrounded on the exterior by high-relief gnarled branches bearing blossoms. Two of the branches extend to form the base. The stone is of a creamy white tone with areas of brown russet.