Lot Essay
Jade vessels from Ming dynasty often inherit aesthetics and characteristics of ones from Song and Yuan dynasties. The present lot may be modelled after a jade vase from Song dynasty, which has a very similar pair of chi dragon handles and monster mask decoration on the body and neck, currently in the collection of Anhui Museum.
The present jade vase and cover, along with its wood stand, is visually identical to one illustrated in the famous handscrolls Guwan Tu, ‘Pictures of Ancient Playthings’, from Yongzheng period; these handscrolls serve as inventories, depicting antiques in the Imperial collection during Yongzheng’s reign, and one of which is currently in the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum, London (fig. 1).
For other related jade vases from Ming dynasty, one without cover and decorated with similar motifs, is in the Taipei National Palace Museum, collection number guyu-004593N; another with similar dragon-shaped handles but decorated with Eight Buddhist Treasures, is in the Beijing Palace Museum, collection number gu-00086519.
The present jade vase and cover, along with its wood stand, is visually identical to one illustrated in the famous handscrolls Guwan Tu, ‘Pictures of Ancient Playthings’, from Yongzheng period; these handscrolls serve as inventories, depicting antiques in the Imperial collection during Yongzheng’s reign, and one of which is currently in the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum, London (fig. 1).
For other related jade vases from Ming dynasty, one without cover and decorated with similar motifs, is in the Taipei National Palace Museum, collection number guyu-004593N; another with similar dragon-shaped handles but decorated with Eight Buddhist Treasures, is in the Beijing Palace Museum, collection number gu-00086519.