Provenance: Rolf, 2nd Baron Cunliffe (1899-1963), Honorary Keeper of the Far Eastern Collections at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and Lady Cunliffe, and thence by descent
Sold in our London Rooms, 8 November 2012, lot 140

Note: Rolf Cunliffe began collecting Chinese art when he was a Royal Air Force pilot stationed in London towards the end of World War II. Over the next 20 years, he acquired over one thousand Chinese ceramics, jades and bronzes. At his flat near Grosvenor Square, London, he had to build special storage units for his collection in the bathroom. As his son, the 3rd Baron Cunliffe remembers, 'visiting collectors like the King of Sweden would spend happy hours sitting on the edge of the bath discussing the finer points of a jade rhyton or a Junyao bowl.'

Rolf, Lord Cunliffe (1899 - 1963).

The Qianlong Emperor is known to have had many of the prized antiques in his collection inscribed with suitable Imperial inscriptions and poems composed by himself on a wide variety of medias including paintings, ceramics and jade, referring to a wide range of subjects. There is no doubt that the emperor deemed the objects worthy of his attention to be elevated by his personal admiration; see for example a Guan incense burner, Southern Song dynasty, from the Sir Percival David Collection, in the British Museum, London, with an inscription composed by the Qianlong Emperor in 1789, stating 'When it was made, this vessel was deemed unfit for sale by the court official. Now it is a treasure of the table, hallowed by the passing of the years. What was only of third quality in ancient times, has now become of the highest value', published by S.Pierson and A.Barnes, A Collector's Vision: Ceramics for the Qianlong Emperor, London, 2002, p.14.

This elevation is further underlined by the superb well-balanced Qianlong period calligraphy, which in the case of the present lot is contrasted against the more rustic relief carving on the opposite side dating to the Ming dynasty. 

The present jade plaque, modest in size, comfortably fitting in one hand, and demonstrably Ming dynasty in its style of carving, is nearly the antithesis to the more ostentatious Qianlong period carvings. It is easy to imagine how it would have captured the emperor's imagination and interest, and its suitability to be included in one of the 'treasure' boxes, to be taken out and admired on occasion; see for example, a curio box, Qianlong, illustrated in Splendors of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2010, pp.118-119. 

Importantly, the same inscription is found on a painting of three sheep attributed to the Qianlong Emperor himself, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Chinese Paintings in the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1981, p.315. This painting was itself inspired by a painting attributed to the Xuande Emperor, and it is therefore perhaps not surprising that the Qianlong Emperor chose to have the same poem inscribed on a Ming dynasty jade plaque suitably carved with the same subject matter. 

Three sheep (yang) bring peacefulness, 1772, by Hongli (Emperor Qianlong, 1711-1799). Qing dynasty, reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795). Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper. Photograph © National Palace Museum, Taipei.

Although the carving of this jade appears straightforward at first glance, deeper meanings soon emerge. The image of the sheep or goat, yang 羊, appeared as early as the Han dynasty as a pun for xiang 祥, meaning auspicious or lucky. By the Qing period, the image of sheep had become heavily associated with yang 陽, meaning the sun, and the warm, positive or masculine force in Chinese cosmology. The sheep imagery then developed into three sheep, sanyang 三羊, often with three boys sanyang 三陽, as a reference to the favourable arrival of spring, since the phrase sanyang kaitai 三陽開泰, refers to the period between the winter solstice and the New Year. This is the period when the warm yang energy is said to emerge, as detailed in the ancient Chinese classic Yijing (Book of Changes). These intricate puns are therefore closely related to the late 18th century calligraphy inscribed on the back of the plaque, which is an exegesis on the auspicious meanings of the Book of Changes.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 28 Nov 2017, 14:00 HKT, HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY