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A SPINACH-GREEN JADE ZHADOU, LATE MING TO EARLY QING
Lot 172 - HS1225
China, 17th - 18th century. Well carved with a globular body raised on a gently spreading foot and surmounted by a tall cylindrical neck with trumpet mouth encircled by an incised line border below the rim. The translucent stone is of a deep spinach-green hue with dark flecks and lighter inclusions.
Expert’s note: The carver's restraint in leaving this jade unadorned allows its remarkable, pure color to take center stage, a choice that resonates with the minimalist aesthetic prized by 17th-century literati. In sunlight, the stone reveals shifting hues and natural beauty, an ideal companion for early morning tea, embodying the refined elegance that scholars of the late Ming dynasty cherished most.
Provenance: From a private collection in Sussex, England.
Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear, minor nicks, and few small natural fissures, some of which have developed into thin hairline cracks.
Weight: 213.7 g
Dimensions: Height 8.9 cm
In the tea ceremony, smaller zhadou vessels like this one were used as discreet slop jars. Cups and teapots were first rinsed with boiling water to cleanse and warm them before use, with the excess water and tea dregs carefully discarded into a zhadou. These vessels, often beautifully crafted, played a practical yet refined role in the ritual, embodying the values of purity and attentiveness that are central to the art of tea preparation.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 7 November 2017, lot 899
Price: GBP 5,625 or approx. EUR 9,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A spinach green jade archaistic zhadou, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, stone, and size (8.5 cm). Note the carved decoration.
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