China, 18^th century. Of square section with tapering sides and canted corners, each facet intricately carved to the exterior with sages and their boy attendants engaged in various pursuits, such as inspecting a scroll or playing the qin, in idyllic landscapes with misty clouds, craggy rockwork, gnarled trees, and pavilions. The translucent stone of a pale celadon tone with veins and patches of russet as well as cloudy white inclusions.

Provenance: By repute acquired from Weisbrod Inc., New York, USA, circa between 1980 and 1990 by the father of the present owner, a private collector in New York, USA.
Condition: The base with significant scratches, losses, edges partially ground down, overall indicating the loss of four feet. Otherwise, the brushpot is in excellent condition with only minor wear.

Weight: 2,088 g (excl. base)
Dimensions: Height 15 cm (excl. base), Width 12.5 cm

With an old Chinese hardwood base of rounded-square form, dating to the late Qing dynasty, and a fitted box and cover, dating to the 20^th century. (3)

This brushpot is notable for the finely detailed carving and deep undercutting of the scenes. The effect of this combination of lapidary techniques is fully appreciated when natural sunlight very slowly passes from the back through the translucent stone, thus creating the illusion of depth and an ethereal otherworldliness. The lapidary has also skillfully utilized the natural russet inclusions for the scene by integrating them into the diagonal lines of the jagged rocks.

Literature comparison: A related white jade brushpot, carved with four feet and children playing in a landscape setting, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in The Refined Taste of the Emperor, Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Qing Court, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1997, catalog no. 59.

Auction result comparison: Compare a jade bitong, very similarly carved and of closely related size and form, but of a more even celadon tone, dated to the Qianlong period, at Sotheby’s London in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 16 May 2012, lot 11, sold for GBP 553,250. Compare also a related jade bitong with similar russet veining, dated 18^th-19^th century, but of smaller size and arguably lesser quality than the present lot, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Chinese Art on 2-3 June 2016, lot 895, sold for HKD 137,500.

清代中期褐斑青玉雕山水人物圖四方筆筒
中國，十八世紀。四方委角筆筒制工精巧，構圖生動，紋飾環繞筒身而雕，刻畫險峻山勢，懸崖峭壁，蜿蜒小徑，樓臺亭閣，天上雲霧氤氳。文人論畫，彈琴。本品雕工上乘，兼且石料精珍。淺青瓷色調的半透明石頭，帶有赤褐色斑塊和天然脈絡以及白色絮狀物。

來源：據説是現任藏家的父親大約在1980 與1990之間購於美國紐約Weisbrod Inc.收藏；美國紐約私人收藏。
品相：底座有明顯的劃痕和缺損，邊緣部分被磨掉，除去缺了四足，總體狀況極好，只有輕微磨損。

重量：2,088 克 (不含底座)
尺寸：高15 厘米(不含底座), 寬 12.5 厘米

四方圓角中國硬木底座，晚清，並配置上世紀蓋盒。

拍賣結果比較：一件相近玉雕筆筒，相似尺寸和形狀，但有更多的青色調，乾隆時期，見倫敦蘇富比 Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2012年5月16日 lot 11, 售價GBP 553,250。另一件同樣有褐斑的玉雕筆筒，十八至十九世紀，尺寸稍小但質量較差，見香港蘇富比 Chinese Art 2016年6月2-3日 lot 895, 售價HKD 137,500。