ARCHAISTIC CELADON JADE CYLINDRCAL TRIPOD CUP (ZHI), QING DYNASTY OR EARLIER, finely-carved with two registers of dragons, phoenix and human forms, entwined in a scrolling design, all on three bear-form feet, the stone partially calcified, 7cm high Note: the form of this cup derives from prototypes unearthed in Han Dynasty tombs. They may originally have been used by the Han Emperors to drink crushed pearls. See Lin, J.C.S., The Search for Immortality: Tomb Treasures of Han China, Cambridge, 2012, pl.58; and Sun-Bailey, S., Gained in Translation, Orientations, July 1991, pp.25-27. For Qing Dynasty and later archaistic examples see Bartholomew, T., Knight, M., and Li, H., Later Chinese Jades, San Francisco, 2007, no.231, pl 215; and The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (II), 1996, p.41, pl.33. For two related jade cups sold at auction see Bonhams San Francisco, 24th June 2014, lot 8048; and Bonhams Hong Kong, 4th June 2015, lot 30.