A rare and fine very pale green jade 'chilong' brushwasher18th centuryThe attractive stone of even tone and smoothly carved as a bowl with slightly flaring rim and a shallow recessed base, the plain sides contrasting with a crisp high-relief carved chilong curling its body inside the central well and entwined with leafy tendrils. 11.6cm (4½in) diam.注脚十八世紀 青白玉雕螭龍穿花洗Provenance: Baron Fould-Springer, Royaumont Abbatial Palace, FranceS. Marchant & Son, LondonA distinguished English private collection來源：法國皇宮Royaumont Abbatial Palace的Fould-Springer男爵舊藏倫敦古董商，S. Marchant & Son英國顯赫私人收藏The style and quality of the present lot embodies much of the celebrated 18th century jade production under the Qianlong emperor. The remarkable even tone of the stone was admired by the master carver who chose to highlight its quality by retaining plain undecorated sides. This was cleverly contrasted with the high-relief carving to the interior well, showcasing the carver's virtuosity and creativity with the interwoven layers of leaves above and around the dragon.The raised relief decoration at the centre was not merely decorative but also utilitarian allowing the brush to be cleaned against the dragon carving. Compare with a similar chilong brushwasher, Qing dynasty, illustrated in Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series:Jades, Beijing, 1999, pl.248, p.206. Compare also with the form of another white jade 'double fish' brushwasher, 18th century, illustrated by J.C.S.Lin, The Immortal Stone: Chinese Jades from the Neolithic to the Twentieth Century, Cambridge, 2009, no.103, p.124. A further related example, 18th century, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2014, lot 3657. A related dish with similarly crisp treatment of the relief carving, but with shallower sides of lobed petal-form, is illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 10: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, no.183. See also a similar bowl or brush washer with a double fish medallion in the well, illustrated by R.Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, p.124., no.103.Compare also with a related very pale greenish-white jade 'dragon' washer, Qianlong/ Jiaqing, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 November 2017, lot 9.