Lot 1156
Treasury 1, no. 177 (‘The “Joy at Sunset” Lavender Jadeite’)
HK$475,000

Jadeite; well hollowed; with a concave foot and tiny rounded footrim
Possibly imperial, perhaps palace workshops, Beijing 1780–1830
Height: 5.32 cm
Mouth/Lip: 0.66/1.95 cm
Stopper: lapis lazuli, carved as a chi dragon; silver collar

Provenance:
Hartman Trading Co. (New York, 1968)
Gerd Lester (1986)

Published:
JICSBS, December 1978, front cover
Antiques World, September 1980, p. 65
Treasury 1, no. 177

Exhibited:
University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, 1999

The source of this material was probably the same as for Treasury 1, no. 176. Both have similar very dark markings in a paler ground of a distinctive nature, although the ground is slightly more purple here. It is possible that both pieces came from a single boulder, but in different areas of the stone. However tenuous, this allows us to raise the possibility of this being a product of the palace workshops, since the other bottle can be reasonably attributed to them on the strength of a number of features. A significant proportion of all jade bottles appears to have been made at the court, and a good deal more for the court, so there is no doubt that plain jadeite bottles were also made there. So far, however, those that can be attributed stylistically to the palace are rare, no. 176 being a notable exception.

We would expect any palace jadeite bottles from the mid-Qing period to be hollowed well enough to function properly as snuff bottles, conforming to the eighteenth-century standard. We would also expect them to have some other palace features, however plain the bottle. Not only is this material a possible association with the court through no. 176, the hollowing is also good and the foot is a concave oval depression surrounded by a tiny rounded footrim, a feature of a number of other bottles attributable to the palace, although, of course, not exclusively.

This is not the Sotheby’s sale catalogue. This is a product of Hugh Moss for the purposes of this website. For the catalogue details please refer to Sotheby’s website or request a copy of a printed sale catalogue from Sotheby’s.