A SMALL CHINESE IMPERIAL AGATE 'HEAVENLY DOVE' VASE FOUR CHARACTER QIANLONG MARK AND OF THE PERIOD 1736-95 The stout body raised on a short flared foot and surmounted by a waisted neck, carved in relief with three doves standing tall to the exterior, with archaistic scrolls dividing the birds, the base finely incised with the four character reign mark, the stone a dark grey colour with paler areas and striations, 9.1cm. Cf. Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Jade, vol.10, p.136, no.99 for a similar pale celadon jade item also with a four character Qianlong mark; see also Marchant, Ninety Jades for 90 Years, pp.172-173, no.89 for a comparable Jiaqing period example in spinach-green jade; see also The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (II), p.36, no.33 for a jade Tang dynasty version of this piece. 清乾隆 瑪瑙雕三鳩爐 《乾隆年製》篆書款 註：《後漢書·禮儀志中》稱鳩為“不噎之鳥”，“欲老人不噎”。借此寓意剛直和祝年長者不得“噎病”。參見，《故宮博物院藏品大系·玉器篇十》，頁136，編號99，一件玉雕三鳩爐。