A magnificent and extremely rare jadeite 'longevity' boulder


Qianlong/JiaqingMasterfully carved in varying levels of relief with Shoulao holding a long lingzhi stem, accompanied by two attendants carrying a peach and a fruiting peach branch, crossing a bridge by a flowing waterfall, approaching an inclined path leading to a terraced pavilion, encircled by gnarled peach, pine and wutong trees issuing from rocky outcrops framing the scene, the reverse with a deer and doe standing on jagged rockwork within a similar landscape, the sumptuous translucent stone of a brilliant apple-green tone with icy inclusions and some russet splashes along the edge skilfully utilised to accentuate the composition, wood stand and fitted box. 17.3cm (6 3/4in) wide (3).
|清乾隆/嘉慶 翠玉帶皮雕祿壽圖山子The lot is an extraordinary example of an imperial jadeite carving with the lapidary craftsman's ability to present a three-dimensional sense by using a multi-depth carving technique on a precious jadeite stone of lustrous apple-green tone with a remarkable degree of translucency. Although, according to the Imperial archive, jadeite was presented to the imperial court from the Yongzheng period, the precious jewel-like stones were not generally used as materials for carvings until the second half of the Qianlong reign, when they become popular as tribute to the emperor. It is much rarer to find carved jadeite boulders comparing to jadeites vessels carved with archaistic themes. Compare with a similar jadeite boulder of similar size (16.1cm high), Qing dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of Palace Museum: Treasures of Imperial Court, Hong Kong, 2004, p.25, no.20; for a larger example of a jadeite boulder (29.5cm high), also from the Qing Court Collection, carved with crane, deer, pine trees and waterfall, see ibid., p.24, no.20.The present jadeite boulder is closely related to a group of imperial jade carvings featuring immortals or elderly sages in mountainous landscapes. This subject matter is based on paintings from the classical canon. As the Qianlong emperor in particular advocated that jade mountains and carved panels should carry the spirit of paintings by famous past masters, it became a popular norm for imperial jade carving during the 18th and 19th centuries.Compare with a related white jade screen carved with a similar subject matter, Qing dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Qing Court, Taipei, 1997, pp.204-205, no.71; see another related spinach-green jade 'Three Immortals' boulder, Qing dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Jasper Wares of Qing Dynasty Collected by the Palace Museum and Manasi, Beijing, 2014, pp.266-267, no.109; see also a green jade boulder, Qing dynasty, carved with a deer and a doe in a rocky landscape, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 8 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, no.105.A related spinach-green jade boulder, Qianlong, carved on both sides with a similar subject matter, was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 November 2018, lot 69.翠玉質，邊緣略帶黃皮，正面陷地浮雕亭台高士圖，畫面遠處雕高臺，雕欄玉砌，臺面陰刻地磚，上起亭子一間，瓦楞儼然，亭台之下出溪流瀑布穿橋而過，橋左深陷地高浮雕高士兩位，一捧壽桃，一策扶老，後隨一童子，肩負桃枝，畫面環繞以山石樹木，一派清幽。背面亦以山石樹木攢景，用刀深峻成深澗流泉，一側山石上浮雕牝牡二鹿，成深谷，幽泉，鹿鳴之仙境。此件翠玉，玉質瑩透，色澤從晶白至翠郁，層次豐富。刀法深峻不失細膩，在硬度極高的翡翠上雕琢如此細膩豐富的畫面，實難為之。翡翠在帝後宮廷生活中佔有重要位置。根據清宮檔案記載，翡翠最在於雍正時期就作為貢品入宮，乾隆以後，翡翠在各地向清宮的貢品中已佔有很大比例。北京故宮博物院清宮舊藏一件翠玉雕松鶴延年山子，其紋飾佈局、用料及刀工均可資比較參考，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：宮廷珍寶》，香港，2004年，頁25，編號20。乾隆帝對此類「玉圖」類山子評價頗高，謂之「尚有雅趣可玩」。這一風尚根植于元代以來文人委身匠籍的世俗化風潮，明亡之後，更多文人雅士拒絕出仕，反而投入到藝術創作，和匠人們過從甚密，如製作水滸葉子的陳洪綬。清代，文人意趣在藝術品上愈發彰顯，各類材質皆有體現，如雍正琺瑯彩詩書畫的結合，玉成窯文人和匠人的親密合作，「玉圖」，也稱「畫意玉器」，便是這一風潮的產物。宮廷「玉圖」往往可以同內廷所藏繪畫相對應，同一題材往往重複。本件正面所雕高士童子亭台流泉之畫面與台北故宮博物院藏一件清白玉玉溪橋送別插屏類似，著錄於《宮廷之雅：清代仿古及畫意玉器特展圖錄》，台北，1997年，頁204-205，編號71；另見北京故宮博物院藏一件清碧玉雕三老圖山子，著錄於《故宮博物院藏清代碧玉器與瑪納斯》，北京，2014年，頁266-267，編號109。背面之雙鹿林泉卻有更早的傳統，大概可以追溯到金代的「秋山」玉，表現遊牧民族秋季圍獵的場景，多為林木雙鹿的圖樣。清代則多取諧音，鹿同祿，喻高升；桃同壽，比長生。類似的紋樣還可參考一件清代青玉鶴鹿圖山子，藏於北京故宮，見《故宮博物院藏品大系玉器篇8》，北京，2011年，編號105。此件林中雙鹿的紋樣和2018年11月27日香港邦瀚斯售出的一件清乾隆碧玉帶皮玉溪送別山子的雙鹿紋樣似乎出自同一粉本，拍品編號69。