A SMALL CELADON JADE TWIN-HANDLED CUP, CHINA, CIRCA 17TH–18TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A SMALL CELADON JADE TWIN-HANDLED CUP, CHINA, CIRCA 17TH–18TH CENTURY Carved from a softly luminous celadon jade of pale creamy hue, subtly veined with warm russet inclusions, this refined twin-handled cup possesses a poised and harmonious silhouette. The gently flaring bowl rises from a neatly stepped foot, its proportions balanced with quiet assurance. The stone’s translucency is most apparent along the rim and thinner sections of the body, where light gathers and diffuses through the material, lending the vessel an almost ethereal presence. The exterior is ornamented with an orderly field of raised bosses arranged in horizontal registers, each carefully rounded and polished to catch the light in rhythmic succession. This tactile surface, recalling archaic bronze prototypes, contrasts elegantly with the smooth, unadorned lip and interior. The subtle gradations of colour within the jade—ranging from creamy celadon to honeyed brown—animate the decorative scheme, while the handles terminate in delicately carved scrolls, their restrained curves enhancing the vessel’s sculptural grace. The cup is carved in the round, with both handles pierced to allow a secure grip, their form suggesting adaptation from earlier ritual shapes. The foot is crisply defined, providing stable support while elevating the bowl with architectural clarity. The interior has been hollowed with precision, the walls evenly thinned, demonstrating the technical confidence of the lapidary. Such vessels were intended for the presentation of wine or libations, objects of refinement suited to scholarly gatherings or ritualised drinking. In the late Ming and early Qing periods, jade cups of this type evoked both antiquarian taste and cultivated status. Their design consciously references ancient ceremonial bronzes, aligning the owner with classical virtue and erudition. Jade itself, long esteemed as the embodiment of purity and moral integrity, transformed the functional drinking vessel into a statement of aesthetic discernment and social prestige. At once archaistic in inspiration and refined in execution, this twin-handled jade cup unites scholarly symbolism with tactile beauty, embodying the enduring dialogue between antiquity and cultivated taste in 17th–18th century China. Length: 11.5 cm Height: 4.5 cm

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