A superb spinach-green jade 'Three Immortals' boulder


QianlongMeticulously carved on one side with three elderly Immortals, one holding a fruiting peach branch while the other two carrying a peach and a lingzhi stem, crossing over a bridge and approaching the steps of a pavilion, surrounded by craggy rockwork and winding up towards a stone terrace with two flower vases on tables, all flanked by gnarled wutong and pine trees, the reverse with two stags under a wutong tree, the scene framed by mountain bluffs as if seen through an opening in the mountain, the attractive semi-translucent stone of bright spinach-green tone with russet skin skillfully incorporated into the design of the boulder, stand. 21cm (8 1/4in) long (2).
|清乾隆 碧玉帶皮玉溪送別山子Provenance:An important Asian private collection來源：亞洲重要私人收藏Impeccably carved in multiple layers of relief and intricate details to suggest a mountainous landscape, the present jade boulder is an exceptional example displaying the highest level of craftsmanship achieved in this medium during the 18th century. The outstanding skill of the master carver is exemplified by the perfectly carved and carefully composed animated scene, which is enhanced the translucent and luminous tone of the remarkable spinach-green jade stone. Every detail of the composition has been well executed: from the sensitive modelling of the Immortals, carved with the head tilted back to observe the others, to the naturalistic rendering of the gnarled trees - all whilst revealing and reveling in the exceptional natural properties of the jade stone. The carving has been created to maximise the use of the entire boulder to waste as little of the precious material as possible, evident in the clever integration of the natural russet skin of the stone in rendering the tree leaves and the craggy rocks.The Qianlong emperor advocated that jade mountains and carved panels should carry the spirit of paintings by famous past masters. It is recorded that a number of classical paintings from the emperor's own collection were ordered to be reproduced in jade, such as the well-known painting entitled 'Travellers in the Mountain' by the Guan Tong of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD).Jade boulders featuring Immortals or elderly sages in mountainous landscapes belonged to the classic repertoire of the Imperial jade workshops during the 18th century. The three Immortals carved on the present boulder may refer to the classical Chinese proverb known as 'Three laughs at Tiger Brook' 虎溪三笑, which represents the ideal harmonious relations between Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism. Compare with a related spinach-green jade 'Three Immortals' boulder, Qing dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Jasper Wares of Qing Dynasty Collected by the Palace Museum and Manasi, Beijing, 2014, pp.266-267, no.109. See also another related white jade screen carved with similar subject matter, Qing dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Qing Court, Taipei, 1997, pp.204-205, no.71.碧玉帶皮，有黑色斑點。山子隨形而雕，正面浮雕三老，其中一持仙桃，一持靈芝，一持仙果，行走於一仙山樓閣小橋上，其中一前行老者回頭相望，如似溪橋送別，橋下溪水潺潺，山上松蘿藤蔓，遠處有一石台上有花瓶靈草置於石桌。背面浮雕雙鹿於松蔭之下、石洞之中，周圍山石環繞，別有洞天。此碧玉山子玉質瑩潤、雕工精湛，為十八世紀玉雕不可多得之品。其雕刻人物生動極致，細節刻畫游刃有餘。玉匠採單獨一塊玉料，巧妙利用玉皮原有顏色，在最小浪費玉料的前提下，巧雕刻畫出山石、樹葉之細節，更突出玉皮之下晶瑩透亮之玉肉，可謂匠心獨運。乾隆帝尤愛此類具有「畫意」的玉器。據記載，他曾命工匠將其御藏古畫，作於玉石之上，如五代山水大家，關仝（907-960）之《關山行旅圖》。此碧玉山子上雕刻之三老圖是古人作畫中常用題材，在十八世紀玉雕上浮雕三老溪橋送別的境況，或取「虎溪三笑」之典故，象徵儒、道、佛三教之融合。類似題材之宮廷玉雕，見北京故宮博物院藏一件清碧玉雕三老圖山子，著錄於《故宮博物院藏清代碧玉器與瑪納斯》，北京，2014年，頁266-267，編號109；另見台北故宮博物院藏一件清白玉玉溪橋送別插屏，著錄於《宮廷之雅：清代仿古及畫意玉器特展圖錄》，台北，1997年，頁204-205，編號71。