Lot 2915. A superb large white jade ruyi, Qianlong-Jiaqing period (1736-1820); 16 ½ in. (42 cm.) long. Estimate HKD 1,200,000 - HKD 1,800,000. Price realised HKD 4,375,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2021

The sceptre is carved in shallow relief on the ruyi-head with a bat suspending a beribboned chime and two peaches. The end of the shaft is carved with a bat with spread wings. The smoothly polished stone is of an even creamy-white tone with almost no inclusions other than a small area on the reverse of the head and a corner on the end of the shaft that have been enhanced russet. The end of the shaft is pierced with two holes for suspension.

The ruyi sceptre, a longstanding auspicious symbol in Chinese art gained popularity in the Qing dynasty when it was often used as a gift to the Emperor on his birthday. The present sceptre is distinguished by its sheer size and the even creamy-white tone. The shaft has been intentionally left undecorated to showcase the superb quality of the stone.

Lot 2912. A massive mottled brown and buff jade cong, Western Zhou-Western Han (1736-1820); 5 7/8 in. (15 cm.) square, Japanese wood box. Estimate HKD 1,000,000 - HKD 2,000,000. Price realised HKD 2,250,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2021

The jade of thick-sided square-section facetted exterior is left undecorated, terminating in a short circular foot and mouth, the interior aperture of characteristic circular section. The highly polished stone is of an attractive mottled brown tone.

Provenance: Collection of Comtesse de Behague Comtesse Martine-Marie-Octavie Pol de Béhague (1870-1939), Paris
Collection of Marquis de Ganay Charles-Alexandre de Ganay, 3rd Marquis de Ganay (29 April 1803 – 4 January 1881)
Objets d’Art d’Extreme-Orient: jades et bronzes de fouilles, Collection du Marquis de Ganay, sold at Hotel Drouot, Paris, 7 May 1952, lot 13.

Note: Compare a cong of similar form in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji 4 – Qin, Han-Northern and Southern dynasties, Hebei, 1993, p. 149, no. 206, dating to western Han dynasty (fig. 1).

fig. 1. Collection of the Nanjing Museum.

Lot 2910. A rare large white and spinach-green jade aubergine-form vase and cover, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century; 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm.) overall height. Estimate HKD 600,000 - HKD 800,000. Price realised HKD 1,062,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2021

The well-hollowed white stone with some faint russet streaks is naturalistically carved in the form of an aubergine, inlaid on top with spinach-green jade as part of the calyx, complete with the cover also in spinach-green jade.

Note: Jade eggplants of this design were usually made in the form of smaller snuff bottles, such as the set of ten in the National Palace Museum Collection, also carved out of white jade and inlaid with spinach-green jade as the stem, illustrated in Lifting the Spirit and Body: The Art and Culture of Snuff Bottles, Taipei, 2012, no. IV-058. Large vases with covers like the current example are extremely rare. It was very likely intended to be a treasured item for display rather than having any practical use, since it could not stand on its own without a wooden stand.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 28 may 2021