Beschreibung:

AN IMPRESSIVE JADEITE ARCHAISTIC CENSER AND COVER LATE 19TH / EARLY 20TH CENTURY THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS MAY BE REQUESTED BY SOTHEBY'S TO COMPLETE THE PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM AND TO DELIVER TO SOTHEBY'S A DEPOSIT OF HK$1,000,000, OR SUCH OTHER HIGHER AMOUNT AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY SOTHEBY'S, AND ANY FINANCIAL REFERENCES, GUARANTEES AND/OR SUCH OTHER SECURITY AS SOTHEBY'S MAY REQUIRE IN ITS ABSOLUTE DISCRETION AS SECURITY FOR THEIR BID. THE BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR PREMIUM LOTS. carved in the form of the archaic vessel fangding, the tapering rectangular body supported on four taotie heads projecting angular legs and scrolling feet, rising to a square-cut rim set with two arched handles pierced in openwork with a ruyi, each side skilfully carved in shallow relief with a large taotie mask flanked on the sides by two descending mythical beasts with bifid tails, below a band of two confronted stylised kui dragons forming the eyebrows of the taotie, all surmounted by a rectangular domed cover, the cantered sides similarly carved with taotie masks, rising sharply to a lion and cub finial, the larger feline with bulging eyes carved in the round standing four square on a raised platform, opening its jaws in a powerful roar, its finely incised mane and bushy tail curling over its hindquarter, a cub clambering up its back, the base carved with an apocryphal four-character mark Qianlong nian zhi, the translucent stone of bright sage-green colour subtly mottled with gold undertones and finished to a smooth polish 26 cm., 10 1/4 in.