A finely carved white jade cupstand, Qianlong period (1736-1795)
Lot 2627. A finely carved white jade cupstand, Qianlong period (1736-1795); 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm.) long. Estimate HKD 600,000 - HKD 800,000. Price realised HKD 1,940,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2008
The interior finely carved in high relief with two five-clawed dragons, each chasing a 'flaming pearl', flanking a lotus-form receptacle, the everted rim incised with a keyfret pattern, the semi-translucent stone of even pale tone, box.
Previously sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 25 October 1993, lot 1107.
No other examples of this 'double-dragon' oval cupstand appear to have been published, although a number of spinach-green jades are known. Cf. a spinach-green jade cupstand of this same pattern, displayed with its double-dragon spinach-green jade cup, in the Beijing Palace Museum, is illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, vol. 6, Qing, Hebei meishu chubanshe, 1991, p. 16, no. 33; and similar spinach-green jade example sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 7 July (Catalogue dated 28 April) 2003, lot 549. A spinach-green jade cupstand with a pair of dragons chasing a single pearl, rather than double pearls, was included in the exhibition, Post-Archaic Chinese Jades from Private Collections, Messrs S. Marchant & Son, 2000, p. 22-3, no. 8.
Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 3 December 2008