Lot 3957. A rare and large spinach-green jade marriage bowl, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 13 1/4 in. (34 cm.) across handles. Estimate 700,000 - HKD 900,000. Price realised HKD 1,580,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2012.  

The bowl with an incurving rim is ornately carved in the interior in high relief with the Bajixiang, Eight Buddhist Emblems, surrounding a central leafy peony blossom amidst smaller scrolling peonies. The handles are carved as a pair of bats flanking a Shou character suspending with a loose ring. The marriage bowl is supported on six evenly spaced low ruyi-cloud feet. The stone is of characteristic mossy green tone with areas of mottling, wood stand.

Provenance: Dreicer & Co, New York, late 19th century to early 20th century
A New York private collection, acquired in the early 1900s.

Note: Spinach jade was often reserved for large pieces in the Imperial palace, and the present example is unusually large for a marriage bowl. Compare with two slightly smaller examples, both with the similar Bajixiang theme on the exterior but butterfly handles. The first is from the Alan & Simone Hartman Collection, sold at Christie's New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1140. The other with an additional Jiaqing Yushang mark was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 April 2000, lot 520.

Bowls of this type were often given as gifts on special occasions, such as a wedding or birthday. The combination of decorative motifs on these bowls usually formed a rebus appropriate to the event. The bats and Shou characters represent fortune and longevity. The peonies represent wealth. It is most likely this bowl was commissioned as a gift in honor of a birthday, wishing someone a long life and the fulfilment of all his wishes.