† ONE OF THE LARGEST EVER FOUND JADE CONG, QIJIA CULTURE, 41 CM HIGH

拍品描述

† ONE OF THE LARGEST EVER FOUND JADE CONG, QIJIA CULTURE, 41 CM HIGH Expert authentication: 1. Dr. Gu Fang has examined the present lot and confirms its authenticity and the dating above, noting the style of cutting, workmanship, thickness and quality of stone with decomposed areas indicating burial all suggest a dating to the Qijia culture. He assessed it as a piece of notably good quality. A copy of Dr. Gu's expertise, dated 25 August 2008, accompanies this lot. Dr. Gu Fang (born 1962) is an internationally renowned scholar of Chinese art and a leading authority on jades. He graduated from the Department of Archaeology at the prestigious Beijing University in 1986 and later studied at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), where he now serves as a Senior Fellow specializing in archaeological excavations and Chinese jade research. A former visiting scholar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, he has authored several books on Chinese jades, including the 15-volume The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China (2007), one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, as well as Chinese Jade: The Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Jade in China (2012). 2. Sam Myers has examined the present lot and confirms its authenticity and the dating above. He appraised it at a value of USD 45,000 or approx. EUR 52,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). A copy of the valuation from Myrna Myers Arts d’Extrême Orient, Paris, written and signed by Sam Myers, dated 5 May 2017, accompanies this lot. Sam Myers is a scholar and expert of Chinese jades and works of art with over 50 years of experience. In 1976, his wife Myrna Myers opened a gallery in Paris specializing in Asian art, and together the couple built an extraordinary art collection, including one of the world’s most distinguished jade collections, published in numerous catalogs and seen around the world in a number of important museum exhibitions. Expert’s note: This cong is of imposing and exceptionally tall size. The carving of such a large piece of jade several thousand years ago must have been extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming, signifying the great wealth and social status of its original owners. China, 2100-1600 BC. Finely carved, of square mid-section, with thick walls of straight edges and a cylindrical interior expertly hollowed out, extending into gently tapered conical terminals. The surface of the vessel left deliberately undecorated. The superbly polished, opaque stone of a vivid spinach-green hue, richly streaked with natural veining in varying lighter shades of green, and accented by occasional small brown inclusions. Dimensions: Height 41 cm (excl. stand), 43.7 cm (incl. stand) The form of the present cong is characteristic of jade production from the Neolithic period through the Shang dynasty, defined by a square outer section enclosing a perforated circular interior. While most of these tubular vessels are associated with the Liangzhu culture, distinguished by finely incised, tiered ornamentation and stylized taotie mask motifs, later cultures of the Early Bronze Age increasingly favored more restrained geometric forms, intended to emphasize the intrinsic qualities of the stone itself. The present lot is an exceptional example of this aesthetic shift. For similar reasons, such vessels became particularly valued by the Qianlong Emperor, as evidenced by numerous examples attributed to the Qijia culture now housed in the National Palace Museum in Beijing. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related marbled green jade cong, Sanxingdui culture, c. 2000-1000 BC, 32 cm high, from the collection of Arthur M. Sackler, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.467. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 5 April 2016, lot 3 Price: HKD 900,000 or approx. EUR 117,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, undecorated design, manner of carving, and stone. Note the smaller size (25 cm) and later dating. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 25 September 2020, lot 1751 Price: USD 106,250 or approx. EUR 116,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, undecorated design, manner of carving, and stone. Note the smaller size (20.8 cm) and later dating. 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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