AN ARCHAISTIC JADEITE ‘MYTHICAL BIRD’ GROUP OF TWO VESSELS AND COVERS, LATE QING DYNASTY TO REPUBLIC PERIOD
China, 1800-1949. Well carved in the form of an mythical bird standing next to a gui vessel, both on a flat naturalistic base. The bird’s head forming the cover of the vessel, the feathers detailed with lappet-shaped incisions, coiled dragons and scrolls to the wings, ruyi-shaped ears, the back and chest with notched flanges. The face with scroll and ruyi designs, and the pierced beak slightly agape. The gui vessel with matching cover and small chilong handles incised with key fret, the rim encircled by a band of stylized dragons. The translucent stone of a pale apple-green tone with icy inclusions.


Provenance:
London trade. A noted French private collection, acquired from the above.

Condition:
Very good condition with minor old wear, small nicks and nibbles. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks. It is rare to find a complete ensemble of four pieces, such as in the present example, with nothing ever having been lost.

Weight: 514.6 g (excl. stand), 591.3 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: 14.5 cm (excl. stand), 17 cm (incl. stand)

With a fitted wood stand, finely carved in openwork with lingzhi and rockwork, showing a fine naturally grown patina overall. The stand and the jade most likely matching. (4)


Expert’s note:
It is rare to find carvings of this zun form, which originated in Shang dynasty wine vessels, being replicated in jadeite. The shape itself appears to be faithfully copied in the raised flanges and the geometric carved design on the sides of the body. For two examples of this unusual model which appears to be a fusion between an owl and an eagle, both cast in bronze, see R. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, volume 1, Washington D.C., 1987, page 406, no. 72.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 3077
Price: HKD 500,000 or approx.
EUR 61,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A jadeite archaistic bird-form vase and cover
Expert remark: Compare the related form and detachable head. Note the incised Qianlong seal mark to the feet. Note the larger size (28 cm) and the lack of a gui vessel and cover as well as a wooden base.




清末民初神鳥翡翠蓋器

中國，1800 年至 1949 年。精雕細刻一隻神鳥站在一個簋旁。鳥頭為器蓋，臉上有如意紋與卷葉紋，喙微微張開。翅膀及羽毛細節精美，雙翼盤旋，雙耳如意形，背部和胸部線條剛硬。簋器配有配套的蓋子和小螭龍手柄，邊緣環繞著一條龍紋帶。淺綠色調的半透明翡翠，帶有絮狀物。


來源：
倫敦古玩交易；知名法國私人收藏。

品相：
狀況非常好，有輕微磨損、小刻痕和磕損。玉石上有天然内沁和裂隙，其中一些可能發展成細小裂紋。很少能找到一個完整的四件作品組合，而且沒有任何缺損。

重量：514.6 克 (不含底座), 591.3 克 (含底座)
尺寸：14.5 厘米(不含底座), 17 厘米(含底座)

木質底座，以靈芝和山石精雕細琢，整體呈現出細膩包漿。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2020年11月30日，lot 3077
價格：HKD 500,000（相當於今日
EUR 61,500
）
描述：翠玉仿古鳥形尊
專家評論：比較相近的外形和可拆卸的頭部。請注意足部有乾隆款。請注意尺寸較大 (28厘米) ，缺少蓋子和木製底座。