Lot Essay
The present cup is similar to a carved jade wine cup made for the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, dated to 1657, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (IS.12-1962).
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NORTH INDIA, 1660-1680
Details
AN IBEX-HEADED CARVED JADE CUP
NORTH INDIA, 1660-1680
Set with ruby eyes framed in gold, silver support-ring on foot
3 ¼ ins. (8.4 cm.) across
NORTH INDIA, 1660-1680
Set with ruby eyes framed in gold, silver support-ring on foot
3 ¼ ins. (8.4 cm.) across
Literature
Forsyth and McElney 1994, p.413, no.350
Exhibited
The Miho Museum, Koka 2016, pp.48-49, no,23
Grand Palais, Paris 2017, p.88, no.57
The Doge’s Palace, Venice 2017, p.109, no.59
The Palace Museum, Beijing 2018, pp.128-29, no.62
de Young Legion of Honor, San Francisco 2018, p. 68, no. 16
Grand Palais, Paris 2017, p.88, no.57
The Doge’s Palace, Venice 2017, p.109, no.59
The Palace Museum, Beijing 2018, pp.128-29, no.62
de Young Legion of Honor, San Francisco 2018, p. 68, no. 16
Engraved
In Chinese: pu ‘jade in the rough’ and with the following poem.
'The good property in Lutai (Deer Terrace Pavilion) comes from distant lands where this cup was carefully carved and pierced by fine artisans. The design is different from those cups of the Han dynasty as well as from vessels of the Shang. This ladle-cup is carved from exquisite jade. The gourd has many lobes, and flowers as well as leaves are shown. The crooked handle is turned around to resemble a ram’s head. [This design] is fantastic and the concept behind it is comprehensive. The smoothness makes it easy to get close to and the nature is soft. Neither the Dongling [jade - aventurine quartz] nor the [jade from] Guannei is comparable. Imperially composed in the jihai year of the Qianlong reign [1779, the 44th year of the Qianlong reign].’
The poem is no.51 in a series of poems written by the Qianlong Emperor (r.1735-1796, d.1799) between 1756 and 1794 in praise of Mughal jades, of which he had a large collection.
'The good property in Lutai (Deer Terrace Pavilion) comes from distant lands where this cup was carefully carved and pierced by fine artisans. The design is different from those cups of the Han dynasty as well as from vessels of the Shang. This ladle-cup is carved from exquisite jade. The gourd has many lobes, and flowers as well as leaves are shown. The crooked handle is turned around to resemble a ram’s head. [This design] is fantastic and the concept behind it is comprehensive. The smoothness makes it easy to get close to and the nature is soft. Neither the Dongling [jade - aventurine quartz] nor the [jade from] Guannei is comparable. Imperially composed in the jihai year of the Qianlong reign [1779, the 44th year of the Qianlong reign].’
The poem is no.51 in a series of poems written by the Qianlong Emperor (r.1735-1796, d.1799) between 1756 and 1794 in praise of Mughal jades, of which he had a large collection.
Brought to you by
Rahul Kadakia