A rare very pale green jade tripod washer


18th centuryThe circular washer raising from three finger-citron-shaped feet to an everted rim incised with key-fret pattern, the three feet further supported by a circular reticulated disc above three ruyi-shaped feet, carved in relief to the exterior with four taotie masks, each holding in its mouth a ring, the softly polished semi-translucent stone of even very pale green tone. 11.9cm (4 3/4in) diam.
|十八世紀 青灰玉三足洗The style and quality of the present lot exemplifies much of the celebrated 18th century jade production under the Qianlong emperor. The stone itself of remarkably even tone and was deliberately left unadorned on most areas to display the quality of the jade stone. The carver displayed his skills by the unusual multi-tiered circular base. The distinctive design of the taotie masks and rings on the present lot were inspired by archaic Han dynasty designs. This relates to the Qianlong emperor's call for craftsmen to take inspiration from antiquity in form and design to emulate the perceived morals and virtues of ancient times.Compare with a related grey jade five-footed bowl, 18th century, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated in Chinese Jades: Ming Dynasty to Early Twentieth Century From the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, 2007, p.133, no.121. It is interesting to note that the San Francisco example may be related to the design of wooden latticework in the Forbidden City. 青灰玉質，洗圓形，內光素，外浮雕饕餮紋，下承三佛手式足，足下再雕一鏤空圓盤，並以三如意足相托。整器打磨工整，設計新穎，極為少見。乾隆皇帝好古敏求，常命玉匠按照古代彝器雕刻，此洗外壁之饕餮銜環紋飾，或受漢代酒器壺之影響。此洗設計新穎，圓盤形鏤空底座設計或受清宮造辦處木作工藝啟發，見三藩市亞洲藝術博物館中藏一件十八世紀灰玉仿洗，其外壁以雕有木雕上所常見的錦紋，而底足亦有一鏤空花卉圓盤承托，見《Chinese Jades: Ming Dynasty to Early Twentieth Century From the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco》，三藩市，2007年，頁133，編號121。