AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE LARGE MOTTLED GREY AND BROWN JADE 'ARROW' VASE, TOUHU Yuan Dynasty (2)AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE LARGE MOTTLED GREY AND BROWN JADE 'ARROW' VASE, TOUHUYuan Dynasty Smoothly and simplistically carved as a vessel of flattened pear shape supported on a spreading foot with the neck flanked by a pair of tubular handles, the stone of mottled grey, black and pale green tone, wood box. 28.5cm (11 1/4in) high (2).元 青玉貫耳壺Provenance: Lord Cunliffe (1899-1963), Honorary Keeper of the Far Eastern Collections at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (collection no.JS3)Bluett & Sons Ltd., LondonProfessor Peter H. Plesch (1918-2013) and Mrs Traudi Plesch OBE (1921-2013), acquired from the above in June 1978 for £15,000 Bluett & Sons Ltd., LondonA distinguished English private collectionPublished and Illustrated: 'Chinese Works of Art in English Collections: 1 - Early Jades and Metal-work in the Collection of the Rt. Hon. Lord Cunliffe', Apollo, London, March 1957, fig.IIIBluett & Sons Ltd., Oriental Art, II, London, 1991, no.18 來源：劍橋大學菲茨威廉博物館東方藝術部名譽主任，Cunliffe勛爵（1899-1963）舊藏（藏品編號JS3）倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.英國Peter Plesch教授（1918-2013）與大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人Traudi Plesch伉儷舊藏，於1978年6月3以15,000英鎊購自Bluett & Sons倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.英國顯赫私人收藏出版著錄：〈Chinese Works of Art in English Collections: 1 - Early Jades and Metal-work in the Collection of the Rt. Hon. Lord Cunliffe〉，《Apollo》，倫敦，1957年3月，圖版編號III倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons，《Oriental Art》，II，倫敦，1991年，編號18The present lot has several distinguishing features that make it remarkable and attest to the skill and taste of both jade carvers and patrons in the Yuan dynasty. Firstly, it is carved from a particularly large piece of jade. Secondly, its monumental scale is further enhanced by the simplicity and complete absence of any decoration, which leaves the surface of the stone to speak for itself. Thirdly, despite the simplicity of form, the greatest care has been taken to carve internally the tubular handles and to finish the accurately shaped interior of the vessel and the area within the foot ring. The natural markings are such as to have appealed especially to scholarly taste. Indeed, such jades spoke eloquently of the subtle taste to let nature speak for itself, and that it was merely the job of the craftsmen to enhance nature's work. Scholarly taste is further encapsulated by the shape of the vase, which is modelled after archaic bronzes. Admiration for antiques and archaic bronzes was especially strong during the Southern Song period, and bronze vessels were produced as early as the 12th/13th century and into the Yuan period. See for example two archaistic bronzes, Yuan dynasty, illustrated in The World of Khubilai Khan: Chinese Art in the Yuan Dynasty, New York, 2010, pp.18-19. See also an archaistic bronze vase with tubular handles, Yuan dynasty, of similar form to the present lot, illustrated in ibid., p.290, where it is noted that vessels with tubular 'ears' on the sides are a reference to the ancient game of touhu, a darts-like game but played by throwing arrows into the vase or ears. Compare a related jade vessel of this form, one with similar tubular handles, Yuan dynasty, illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji, vol.9, Beijing, 1986, nos.270. See also a jade vase of similar form but with ring handles, Song/Yuan dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware (II), Hong Kong, 1995, pp.140-141, no.114.