A Chinese chicken bone jade brushpot dating from the Qianlong dynasty with a wooden stand. Each side of the brushpot features a mountain landscape. Dimensions are: 3 3/4 inches tall X 2 inches wide X 2 inches long, 9.53 cm X 5.08 cm X 5.08 cm. All measurements are approximate. Condition: Natural variation to jade. Chips to the edges and carving. A reminder that all lots are sold as-is. We have sought to record the changes in the condition of this piece after its initial manufacture as diligently as possible; however, as stated in our terms, condition reports are statements of opinion and not representations or warranties. Oakridge Auction Gallery bears no responsibility for any error or omission. Provenance: Purchased from a Bonhams California saleroom. Notes: For as desirable and prolific as the mineral known as chicken-bone jade is, it is a poorly understood phenomenon that requires some backstory into the milieu of the Qianlong Imperial reign. During the Qianlong period, the Emperor developed a keen interest in antiques, causing Chinese culture to rediscover the beauty and artistry of archaic period artworks and inspiring an artistic revival. In the realm of jades, efforts were made to emulate the burial goods excavated from tombs. These burial jades had been burned and buried for centuries, developing a white, chalky texture. To produce this attractive effect in the Qianlong period, chicken-bone jade was created by heating or burning nephrite jade, which created an ivory-like crackled texture. Just like when wood cracks due to dryness, heat, and humidity, so can stone, too, when subjected to similar forces.This brushpot is clearly a product of the archaizing artistic movement of the Qianlong period. It is a fine example of chicken-bone or burnt jade; minute black and brown cracks crisscross its opaque, ivory surface, densely arranged like fibers in a woven textile. This effect makes the material seem light and porous like bone--hence its name--yet the jade retains its original heft, strength, and polished surface texture as well as its carved designs. Each side of this square brushpot features a different landscape scene. Two of the scenes depict leafy tree branches growing upward and outward, framed by undulating walls of stone. The other two scenes depict auspicious symbols--a bat, a crane, a lingzhi mushroom, and a deer--in tranquil settings with flowing water and hanging branches.Along with its carved designs, this piece's form clearly illustrates the time period of its production. It is a scholar's object, a brushpot, which at the time of its creation was a far more modern shape than any jade burial disc or censer. It is small, standing less than four inches tall (ten centimeters), with beveled corners, and it stands upon four ruyi-shaped feet. Many brushpots of this period take a similar form, whether they are jade or porcelain, including other examples in this sale (see Lot 211). This intriguing brushpot represents a rare melding of looking to the past for inspiration while also looking to the present for form. Objects like these are fascinating examples of artistic fusion, representative of the cultural tastes of different moments in the past, making them unique talking pieces for knowledgeable collectors of any period.火燒玉的制法，火燒後呈乳白色，顏色古樸而充滿特色，形成類似於土沁之感，是對古樸審美的追求，所成之品具有滄桑、幹澀的沈著靜穆之美。明清時期仿古之風盛行，火燒玉即是其中一種，用火燒烤玉料，使玉受熱而變為白色，如雞骨白色，稱為「仿石灰古」、「仿雞骨白」。此類玉器工藝都比較精湛，以藝術之美取勝。此件筆筒四角為倭角，兩個面雕刻有亭台樓閣，另兩個面雕繪鶴鹿同春等圖案，以古松樹幹為主體，其上松枝盤蜒，穿插交疊，錯落有致，蝙蝠嬉戲其間；山石之上，仙鶴憩棲或遠望，姿態悠閑；鹿嬉戲遊蕩其間，宛若橫卷長幅。圖畫借松、鹿、鶴為題意取「鹿鶴同春」之意，以此賦予萬物欣欣向榮之吉祥祝福，頗具匠心。筆筒直身、倭角、底部四足為如意足，獨具匠心，整體雕工精湛，刻畫生動，惟妙惟肖。乾隆皇帝喜好玉器，更為好古，常令造辦處制作仿古的器型，尤以玉器仿古最多，用以宮廷陳設把玩，譬如此件，做工謹慎精細，穩重大方，覆古與創新相結合，是典型乾隆宮廷造辦出品。本器火燒著色，通體潔白，形制古樸，作為文房清供，置於案頭，則顯得清雅脫俗，別具一番意境在其中。A similar jade brushpot is currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing under accession number 00096441. A similar black and gray jade brushpot was previously sold by Christie's New York on September 15, 2011, as lot 1007. 同類型筆筒可參閱北京故宮博物院館藏，編號 故00096441(fig. 1)。見佳士得紐約2011年09月拍賣，編號1007。High resolution photos can be found here.