AN EXQUISITE INLAID WHITE JADE MUGHAL-STYLE HU-FORM VASE18th centuryOf archaistichu-form raised on a short, slightly flared foot carved with lappets, carved on the wide sides with leafy flower blossoms emerging from dense leaves, and on the narrow sides with further flower blossoms, the decoration is adorned with semi-precious stones, flanked on the narrow neck with a pair of double acanthus leaf-form handles, the stone of a very pale even white tone, stand and box.19.2cm (7 1/2in) high (3).Provenance: 十八世紀 痕都斯坦式白玉瓶Jades influenced by the Mughal style became popular under the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795). The present vase represents the superb workman of an unique hybrid style which incorporates a distinctive Chinese archaistichu form and theplex Indian design. See a Qing dynasty jasper vase with delineated lotus design and flower-shaped handles in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated inCompendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 10 Qing, Beijing, 2011, p.71, pl.43.白玉質，有綹紋，長方口、足。瓶口微撇，頸兩側各有一透雕莨苕葉式耳，瓶腹橢圓，兩面淺浮雕富麗的痕都斯坦式花葉紋，鑲寶石。此瓶上的紋飾集宮廷仿古式及痕都斯坦式為一體，盡顯乾隆皇帝對「好古求新」的審美觀。乾隆皇帝慕古如痴，在藝術上極力倡導「復古」及「仿古」，強調玉器應向古器物學習，即謂「玩物仍存師古情」。為讓宮廷造辦處領會其要求，乾隆皇帝經常將內府收藏青銅彝器作為藍本讓玉匠創作。其繁複紋飾受到乾隆帝極為讚賞的痕都斯坦玉之影響。兩種審美元素合二為一，恰如其分。參考清宮舊藏一件碧玉花耳勾蓮紋瓶，見《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器編10：清》，北京，2011年，頁71，圖版43。