A RARE IMPERIAL SPINACH JADE MUSICAL STONE, TEQING Incised Kangxi...
PROPERTY FROM A PRINCELY COLLECTION 王子藏品
A RARE IMPERIAL SPINACH JADE MUSICAL STONE, TEQING
Incised Kangxi fifty-fifth year, corresponding to 1716 and of the period
Finely carved, the thick slab with a gracefully curved lower edge and a neatly drilled suspension hole on the top, each side adorned with two shades of gilding, a reddish hue and a golden yellow, the primary face showcasing two confronted, five-clawed scaly dragons, depicted amidst swirling clouds as they pursue a flaming pearl symbolised by the suspension hole, the edges gilt with cartouches inscribed Kangxi wushiwu nian zhi 'made in the fifty-fifth year of the Kangxi period', on the shorter edge, and Xianlu, denoting the tone, on the striking edge, the jade of rich spinach-green tone. 49.8cm (19 5/8in) long.
1716 碧玉描金雲龍紋仲呂特磬
款識：康熙五十五年製 仲呂
Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 16 March 1984, lot 345
Alan (1930-2023) and Simone Hartman
Roger Keverne Ltd., London, May 2008
Property from a Princely Collection
Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: R.Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, no.64.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, August 2003- December 2004
R.Keverne, Summer Exhibition, London, 2008, no.82 (and cover)
來源： 紐約蘇富比，1984年3月16日，拍品編號345
Alan (1930-2023)和 Simone Hartman伉儷舊藏
倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2008年5月
王子藏品
展覽著錄：R. Kleiner， 《Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman》，香港，1996年，編號64
波士頓美術館，波士頓，2003年8月-2004年12月
R.Keverne，《夏季展覽》，倫敦，2008年，編號82（以及封面）
Renowned art and antique gallerist Alan Hartman (1930-2023), with his wife Simone, amassed an exceptional personal collection comprising Impressionist masterpieces and a vast array of Asian Art. Alan's lifelong passion for collecting antiques and artworks began at the age of 12 when he acquired his first piece of jade. Until his recent passing, this passion remained a central aspect of his life. Alan Hartman's legacy extends beyond his personal collection. He established the iconic Rare Art Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York, with additional locations in Dallas and Palm Beach. Through his galleries, Alan provided a diverse array of artworks spanning various disciplines and origins. Together with Simone, Alan became renowned as a distinguished patron of the arts, amassing an illustrious collection over half a century. Their contributions greatly enriched the collections of major institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
L-shaped musical stones or chimes date back to the Shang dynasty, as evidenced by M.Xiao, B.Yung, and A.Wong, The Musical Arts of Ancient China, Hong Kong, 2001, p.31, no.10. Jade, highly revered for its beauty, durability, and mystical properties, was considered the embodiment of virtue and Imperial authority. Musical chimes crafted from jade were not merely instruments of entertainment but symbols of power and governance. In ancient China, rulers utilised jade chimes in ceremonial rituals, court banquets, and important state events to assert their legitimacy and authority. The melodious tones produced by these chimes were believed to harmonise the universe and resonate with heavenly forces, reinforcing the ruler's divine mandate and ensuring celestial blessings upon the kingdom. For the prototype see a Shang dynasty musical stone chime carved with a tiger figure excavated in 1950 from the great tomb at Wuguan, Anyang, illustrated by S.Howard Hansford, Chinese Carved Jades, London, 1968, pl.4.
The Kangxi Emperor held a deep appreciation for ancient history and culture and sought to uphold its rituals and customs. Recognising the symbolic importance of jade musical chimes in Imperial ceremonies and governance, he endeavoured to continue this tradition by commissioning the creation of his own jade chimes. See a very similar jade chime for the 8th note in the 12 note scale, from the same set as the present lot, dated 1716, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by J.Rawson and J.Ayers, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1975, no.410.
See also a related set of sixteen jade chimes, also with dragon and cloud motifs, 1764, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated by E.Rawski and J.Rawson, China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.122, no.31. One other complete set of chimes, Qianlong, was kept in the Pavilion of Flying Dragon, in the Shenyang Imperial Palace, illustrated in The Gathering of Select Gems from the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum Collection, Shenyang, 1991, p.16.
Bid on this lot
PROPERTY FROM A PRINCELY COLLECTION 王子藏品
A RARE IMPERIAL SPINACH JADE MUSICAL STONE, TEQING
Incised Kangxi fifty-fifth year, corresponding to 1716 and of the period
Finely carved, the thick slab with a gracefully curved lower edge and a neatly drilled suspension hole on the top, each side adorned with two shades of gilding, a reddish hue and a golden yellow, the primary face showcasing two confronted, five-clawed scaly dragons, depicted amidst swirling clouds as they pursue a flaming pearl symbolised by the suspension hole, the edges gilt with cartouches inscribed Kangxi wushiwu nian zhi 'made in the fifty-fifth year of the Kangxi period', on the shorter edge, and Xianlu, denoting the tone, on the striking edge, the jade of rich spinach-green tone. 49.8cm (19 5/8in) long.
1716 碧玉描金雲龍紋仲呂特磬
款識：康熙五十五年製 仲呂
Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 16 March 1984, lot 345
Alan (1930-2023) and Simone Hartman
Roger Keverne Ltd., London, May 2008
Property from a Princely Collection
Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: R.Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, no.64.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, August 2003- December 2004
R.Keverne, Summer Exhibition, London, 2008, no.82 (and cover)
來源： 紐約蘇富比，1984年3月16日，拍品編號345
Alan (1930-2023)和 Simone Hartman伉儷舊藏
倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2008年5月
王子藏品
展覽著錄：R. Kleiner， 《Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman》，香港，1996年，編號64
波士頓美術館，波士頓，2003年8月-2004年12月
R.Keverne，《夏季展覽》，倫敦，2008年，編號82（以及封面）
Renowned art and antique gallerist Alan Hartman (1930-2023), with his wife Simone, amassed an exceptional personal collection comprising Impressionist masterpieces and a vast array of Asian Art. Alan's lifelong passion for collecting antiques and artworks began at the age of 12 when he acquired his first piece of jade. Until his recent passing, this passion remained a central aspect of his life. Alan Hartman's legacy extends beyond his personal collection. He established the iconic Rare Art Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York, with additional locations in Dallas and Palm Beach. Through his galleries, Alan provided a diverse array of artworks spanning various disciplines and origins. Together with Simone, Alan became renowned as a distinguished patron of the arts, amassing an illustrious collection over half a century. Their contributions greatly enriched the collections of major institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
L-shaped musical stones or chimes date back to the Shang dynasty, as evidenced by M.Xiao, B.Yung, and A.Wong, The Musical Arts of Ancient China, Hong Kong, 2001, p.31, no.10. Jade, highly revered for its beauty, durability, and mystical properties, was considered the embodiment of virtue and Imperial authority. Musical chimes crafted from jade were not merely instruments of entertainment but symbols of power and governance. In ancient China, rulers utilised jade chimes in ceremonial rituals, court banquets, and important state events to assert their legitimacy and authority. The melodious tones produced by these chimes were believed to harmonise the universe and resonate with heavenly forces, reinforcing the ruler's divine mandate and ensuring celestial blessings upon the kingdom. For the prototype see a Shang dynasty musical stone chime carved with a tiger figure excavated in 1950 from the great tomb at Wuguan, Anyang, illustrated by S.Howard Hansford, Chinese Carved Jades, London, 1968, pl.4.
The Kangxi Emperor held a deep appreciation for ancient history and culture and sought to uphold its rituals and customs. Recognising the symbolic importance of jade musical chimes in Imperial ceremonies and governance, he endeavoured to continue this tradition by commissioning the creation of his own jade chimes. See a very similar jade chime for the 8th note in the 12 note scale, from the same set as the present lot, dated 1716, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by J.Rawson and J.Ayers, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1975, no.410.
See also a related set of sixteen jade chimes, also with dragon and cloud motifs, 1764, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated by E.Rawski and J.Rawson, China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.122, no.31. One other complete set of chimes, Qianlong, was kept in the Pavilion of Flying Dragon, in the Shenyang Imperial Palace, illustrated in The Gathering of Select Gems from the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum Collection, Shenyang, 1991, p.16.
