Lot 3228. A rare White Jade tripod Ewer and Cover, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period (1736-1795); 18 cm., 7 1/8 in. Estimate 3,500,000 — 5,500,000 HKD. Lot Sold 7,820,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the globular body rising from three mammiform legs terminating in tapered feet, the side flanked by a C-shaped handle of square section emerging from the mouth of a mythical beast opposite a spout carved in the form of another mythical beast, the body finely carved in low-relief with archaistic taotie masks and ruyi-heads on the feet, the stone of a milky-white colour, the cover surmounted with a lotus finial, original carved zitan stand.

Provenance: Prince Kung. The American Art Galleries, New York, 27th February - 1st March 1913, lot 72.
Yamanaka & Co.
Christie's Hong Kong, 27th April 1997, lot 578.

Note: Exquisitely carved from a flawless milky white stone, Qing vessels of this form are rare and no other example carved from jade appears to have been published. The shape and design derives from the archaic ritual bronze he of the late Shang (c.1600-c.1050BC) and early Western Zhou (c.1050-771BC) dynasties. The Qianlong emperor collected archaic bronze vessels with an emphasis on these periods, thus their forms and decorative motifs entered the general repertoire of Qianlong porcelain and works of art otherwise unrelated to the ancient metal versions.  

For the prototype of this vessel, see a he attributed to the late Shang dynasty, similarly decorated with a broad taotie band and domed cover, illustrated in Masterworks of Chinese Bronze of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1969, pl. 42. Compare also a pair of archaistic ewers of related form and decoration from the collection of Nathan Bushell sold at Christie's New York, 15th September 2009, lot 205. The archaistic form of this ewer served as the inspiration for vessels of more contemporary styles, as seen in a pair of Qianlong mark and period teapots of similar globular tripod form but decorated overall with floral medallions, sold in these rooms, 15th November 1983, lot 329.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 08 april 2011