A SUPERBLY CARVED IMPERIAL SPINACH-GREEN JADE BRUSHPOT - QIANLONG (1736-95)

The thick cylindrical sides pierced and deeply carved in varying relief with a continuous scene depicting a caparisoned elephant flanked by foreigners and two equestrians, the reverse with further figures on horseback, figures at work and a lion cub, all within a dense tree-lined rocky landscape, the well-polished stone of a deep green colour with some paler mottling and dark speckling throughout. 6¼ in. (15.8 cm.) high - Estimate: £100,000 - £150,000 ($197,700 - $296,550)

Provenance: Harold A. Hartog Collection
Sotheby's New York, 28 February 1980, lot 232 and illustrated on the cover.
Sotheby's New York, 26 November 1991, lot 50.

Notes: The theme of the carving on this brushpot is that of foreigners presenting tribute to the emperor, and the column of travellers has been very skilfully placed into the landscape so that they appear to be trekking through the mountains. Tribute bearers were a particularly popular theme in the 18th century, and are the subject of a number of court paintings, such as the anonymous hanging scroll Envoys from Vassal States and Foreign Countries Presenting Tribute to the Emperor, in the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures - 14 - Paintings by Court Artists of the Qing Court, Commercial Press, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 240-1, no. 64). On this scroll elephants are shown bearing some of these tribute gifts, including a vase, as also shown on the present jade vase. Elephants are associated with strength, wisdom and long-life in China and are also significant animals within the Buddhist religion. A prominent member of the Buddhist pantheon, Samantabhadra (Puxian), is frequently depicted seated on an elephant. Elephants were a popular theme in Chinese art, especially that for the imperial court. The word for elephant in Chinese is xiang, which can also mean appearance, and which additionally sounds like a word meaning happiness. Elephants also provide another message when combined with a precious vase. The word for vase in Chinese is ping, which sounds the same as the word for peace. The combination of an elephant with a vase on its back thus suggests the phrase taiping youxiang, 'great peace in the world'. That message is re-emphasised by the inclusion of a saddle cloth, the word for which is an, sounding like another word for peace. The inclusion of an elephant bearing a vase on its back was therefore a very appropriate symbol within these tribute scenes.

The inclusion of an elephant was not, however, only symbolic, for elephants were indeed presented to the Emperor as evidenced by the Qianlong handscroll painted by He Qingtai and Pan Tingzhang in the Palace Museum, Beijing entitled Kazaks Presenting Horses and Elephants to the Emperor (illustrated ibid., pp. 244-5, no. 67). This handscroll has an inscription detailing the presentation, and illustrates each horse and elephant with an individual inscription in Chinese and Manchu.

The foreigners who are shown on this brushpot are dressed in loose robes with horn-shaped hats. The Yongzheng Emperor is shown wearing a similar, striped, outfit with horn-shaped
hat in one of the 13 anonymous album leaves depicting Life Portraits of Emperor Yongzheng, (illustrated ibid., p. 118, no. 18.2). This album depicts the Emperor in various guises, and it is likely that the striped costume is intended to portray the Emperor as a Western Asian prince. The foreigners shown on the current jade brushpot are probably also intended to represent tribute bearers from west of China's borders.

A similarly carved and decorated jade screen from the collection of Alan and Simone Hartman was sold in our Hong Kong Rooms, 27 November 2007, lot 1513.

Christie's London. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART INCLUDING EXPORT ART. 13 May 2008