Lot 32. A pale green and russet jade archaistic rhyton cup, 18th century; 13cm (5 1/8in) high. (2). Sold for HKD 191,250 (Estimate HKD 150,000 - HKD 180,000). © Bonhams 2001-2022

The lower body carved in high relief around the sides with a finely detailed bearded chilong dragon with single horn jutting backwards and its flowy long mane on the rounded tip of the vessel, all below a narrow rope-twist border separating it from a field of small detached scrolls on the upper body, with a narrow key-fret band encircling the rim, the stone of pale green tone with areas of the russet skin highlighting the overall design, box.

Note: The present jade rhyton cup is known as a gong named after an archaic bronze covered pouring vessel of similar shape, the shape was most probably derived from trade links with Central or Western Asia during the Han dynasty. See a jade rhyton from the tomb of the King of Nan Yue, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p.70, fig.61.

Encouraged by the Qianlong Emperor's passion for archaic jades and bronzes, Qing craftsmen began to look at the past for inspiration and adapt the forms and designs of archaic jades and bronzes into their pieces. While the present lot is based on the archaic bronze model, the design that embellishes the exterior is firmly based in the 18th century, depicting a highly stylised dragon unfolding across the surface thus distinguishing it from other jade vessels of this form that are more commonly decorated with stylised archaic designs of taotie and cicada leaves.

Compare with a larger spinach-green jade archaistic rhyton, Qianlong, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji, vol.2, Shijiazhuang, 2005, p.541, no.35. See also a related example of a larger white jade archaistic rhyton from the Florence and Herbert Irving collection, 17th-18th century, sold at Christie's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 804.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, Hong Kong, 30 November 2022