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| 97 A very fine, large jade marriage bowl Qianlong period Width: 11 in, 28 cm supported on four cloud-form feet, the gently rounded sides rise steeply to an incurving rim. Two handles, suspending loose rings, pierced and worked in the form of well-detailed bats with outstretched wings, issue from the rim, and their heads rise above it in very high relief. The interior is worked with sprays of millet above which hovers a bat. The sides are simply decorated with two raised bands, enhancing the natural beauty of the stone that is an exceptionally fine, even white tone with the palest of russet blushes to the tips of the feet and a superb polish. With a pierced and carved wood stand. This vessel is a tour-de-force of jade workmanship; the combination of a pure white stone, a subtle, restrained design and superb high-relief bat handles makes this an imperial jade of the highest quality. |
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For marriage bowls in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, Vol. 6, nos. 310-16, pp. 213-16. For an example from the collection of Sir John Buchanan-Jardine, Bt., see Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, 1935-6, no. 2809; and see also Masterpieces of Chinese Writing Materials in the National Palace Museum, pl. 31. |
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