China, 1736-1795. Superbly carved, the thinly walled flared neck and spreading foot as overlapping petals while three chilong in high relief encircle the convex mid-section, one with a lingzhi sprig in its mouth and another a young cub lacking the horn. Note the ruyi-shaped ears of the two larger beasts. The translucent stone finely polished to a subtle luster and of a pale celadon tone with faint russet and icy veins as well as cloudy inclusions.

Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London, United Kingdom, 23 September 1966. Gordon W. Quance LLM, acquired from the above and thence by descent. A copy of the original invoice from Spink & Son Ltd., addressed to G. W. Quance, dated 23 September 1966, confirming the dating above, and with a stamped, handwritten, and signed note stating that payment was received on 22 September 1966, accompanies this lot. Gordon William Quance (1931-2017) was an English lawyer who lived in Birmingham and built a fine collection of Chinese art during the 1960s, often purchasing from Spink & Son and other renowned houses in London.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, few tiny nibbles to edges, the stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.

Weight: 304.6 g (the vase) and 103.9 g (the stand)
Dimensions: Height 16 cm (excl. stand) and 18 cm (incl. stand)

With a finely carved and fitted wood stand. The stand additionally filled with a weight of some kind. (2)

Deceptively simple in its refined form and design, the present vase displays the technical prowess and artistic imagination of jade carvers during the Qianlong period. The shape and motifs draw inspiration from archaic bronze wine vessels, gu, made in the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties; the robust shape of the bronze prototype was transformed into a graceful barbed silhouette that resembles a magnolia blossom. Deftly carved with motifs of the hallmark of the Shang and Zhou styles, the result is a vase that appears modern yet steeped in classical symbolism, skillfully adapted to suit the refined taste of the Qianlong Emperor. This magnificent vase represents one of the most graceful and successful reinterpretations of the bronze gu shape and displays the strictly antiquarian nature that characterizes jade carvings of this period.

An erudite scholar and passionate collector of antiques, the Qianlong Emperor’s love for the past was grounded in his admiration for Chinese history and influenced by Confucian philosophy, which emphasized the study of history in the pursuit of virtue. The Qianlong Emperor actively influenced jade production, criticizing the ‘vulgar’ style popular in the 18th century as excessively ornate, and urging craftsmen to study antique vessels and adapt them to the jade medium. The Xiqing gujian (Catalogue of Xiqing antiquities), which was compiled by court artists between 1749 and 1755 and comprised line drawings of some 1500 objects in the imperial collection, was circulated among craftsmen who were encouraged to take inspiration from it.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 23 June 2008, lot 8119
Price: USD 27,000 or approx. EUR 35,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A yellow jade gu-form vase, 18^th/19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and manner of carving with similar overlapping petals and clambering chilong. Note the yellow color of the jade and the similar size (18 cm). Note also that this lot was sold almost 15 years ago and would probably achieve a higher result today.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1106
Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pale greyish-green jade archaistic fluted gu-form vase, 18^th/19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the related, though less pale color of the jade, as well as the related petal-lobed form. Note the taotie-ring handles and the size (19.7 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 8 November 2011, lot 231
Price: GBP 30,000 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A celadon jade 'chilong' flaring vase, 18^th/19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form with overlapping petals and clambering chilong, though not restricted to the mid-section, as well as the related if less pale celadon color with similar natural fissures. Note the larger size (24 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 October 2019, lot 121
Price: HKD 12,175,000 or approx. EUR 1,579,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A superbly carved and rare white jade barbed vase, gu, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
Expert remark: Compare the related form with similar overlapping petals. Note the white color of the jade and the size (20.8 cm).

乾隆螭龍青玉葵口方觚
中國，1736-1795年。精雕細刻，薄壁，瓶口與底足葵口外撇；腹部高浮雕三隻螭龍，一隻口含靈芝小枝，另一隻是沒有角的幼崽。兩隻較大的螭龍如意形的耳朵。半透明的玉石，表面光滑，光澤瑩潤，呈淡青色，帶有淡淡的赤褐色斑紋和絮狀物。

來源：英國倫敦Spink & Son 藝廊，1966年9月23日；Gordon W. Quance LLM 購於上述藝廊，保存至今。隨附藝廊當日出具給Quance的發票的副本。Gordon William Quance (1931-2017年) 曾是一位英國律師，生活在伯明翰，在 1960 年代建立了中國藝術品收藏，經常從 Spink & Son 和倫敦其他著名的藝廊購買藏品。
品相：品相極佳，輕微磨損，邊緣輕微磕損，玉料有天然內沁和裂縫，隨著時間的推移，其中一些可能會發展成細小的裂縫。

重量：瓶304.6 克，底座103.9 克
尺寸：高16 厘米(不含底座) ，18 厘米(含底座)

雕刻精美的木底座。

此瓶造型簡潔精美，完美詮釋了乾隆時期玉雕匠人精湛技藝和藝術想像力。造型和圖案靈感來自商、西周時期的青銅酒器觚，形制優雅，線條流暢，非常符合乾隆的精緻品味。這個玉觚是對青銅古形最優雅和最成功的詮釋，展現了這一時期玉雕的古樸本質。

乾隆帝博學多才並熱衷古董收藏，其愛古之情源於他對中國歷史的仰慕，並受到儒家哲學的影響。儒家哲學強調以史為鑑，追求美德。乾隆皇帝積極推行玉器製作，批評十八世紀流行的“粗俗”風格過於華麗，並敦促工匠研究古董器皿並使其適應玉器介質。1749年至1755年間由宮廷藝術家編纂的《西清古鑑》，收商周至唐代銅器1529件，按器繪圖，因圖系說，附銘文並加考釋，在工匠之間流傳，鼓勵他們從中汲取靈感。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：舊金山邦瀚斯，2008年6月23日，lot 8119
價格：USD 27,000（相當於今日EUR 35,500）
描述：十八至十九世紀黃玉方觚
專家注釋：比較非常相近的外型和相似的雕刻，以及腹部高浮雕。請注意玉石的黃色調和 (18厘米)。請注意此玉方觚售於15年前，如果於現在拍賣，可能得到更高的拍賣結果。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2010年3月26日，lot 1106
價格：USD 35,000（相當於今日EUR 45,000）
描述：十八至十九世紀青玉方觚
專家評論：比較相近但顏色較淡的玉色，以及相近的葵口外型。請注意此方觚有饕餮輔首啣環和尺寸 (19.7厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2011年11月8日，lot 231
價格：GBP 30,000（相當於今日EUR 45,000）
描述：清十八至十九世紀青玉螭龍紋花觚

專家評論：比較非常相近的外型、葵口、盤旋的螭龍，但非位於腹部；相近但顏色較深、帶有天然內沁的玉石。請注意尺寸較大(24厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2019年10月7日，lot 121
價格：HKD 12,175,000（相當於今日EUR 1,579,000）
描述：清乾隆白玉菱花式花觚
專家評論：比較相近的外型、葵口。請注意玉石顏色為白色和尺寸 (20.8厘米)。