A fine white jade archaistic beaker vase, gu


QianlongThe flattened bulbous body rising from a hollowed splayed foot to a long flaring neck, the mid-section finely carved on each side with a stylised taotie mask, divided by four vertical flanges, all between a border of cicada leaves at the neck and foot, wood stand. 9.8cm (4in) high. (2).
|清乾隆 白玉雕仿古形花觚 Provenance: A distinguished English private collection, and thence by descentBonhams London, 12 May 2016, lot 134Marchant, London來源：英國顯貴私人舊藏，並由後人保存迄今倫敦邦瀚斯，2016年5月12日，拍品編號134倫敦MarchantThe archaistic form and decoration inspired by early bronzes, is consistent with the style advocated by the Qianlong emperor. As noted by Chang Li-tuan in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1997, p.49, the Qianlong emperor proposed to 'restore ancient ways', suggesting that jade carvers turn to antiquity for models, which would enable them to imbue their designs with simplicity and honesty, and so achieve refinement and elegance. The 'ancient ways' referred to the intrinsic values of sincerity, simplicity, and happy exuberance. See also a similar green jade gu vase, Qing dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, (acc.no.Gu-yu-000689); for another related very pale green jade gu vase, 18th century, see R.Keverne, ed., Jade, London, 1991, p.161, fig.85.Compare with a related white jade archaistic gu vase, 18th century, which was sold at Bonhams London, 8 November 2012, lot 188. 白玉偏青，質地瑩潤，觚方口，束頸，鼓腹，高圈足外撇，外壁減地淺浮雕三層紋飾，取法三代，風格古穆，頸部雕四葉蕉葉紋，胸腹出戟，腹部雕饕餮紋，圈足雕倒立蕉葉紋。內壁圈足掏膛均勻，薄可透光。乾隆帝好古敏求，曾下令製作大批仿古玉器，意在摒棄浮華時風，仿古而不泥古，以三代銅器為師，器型穩重，紋飾簡練，頗開一朝之新風。此件玉觚圓形可參考《西清古鑒》著錄一件西周婦觚，見《西清古鑒》，乾隆十四年（1749年），《欽定四庫全書》本，卷23， 頁79。亦可比較台北故宮所藏一件清代玉花觚，器型紋樣可本品相似，惟圈足亦有出戟，館藏編號故-玉-000689；另見清十八世紀一例玉雕花觚，R.Keverne，《Jade》，倫敦，1991年，頁161，圖85。