A RARE CHINESE IMPERIAL SPINACH-GREEN JADE CIRCULAR 'DRAGON' BOX AND COVER

A RARE CHINESE IMPERIAL SPINACH-GREEN JADE CIRCULAR 'DRAGON' BOX AND COVER
18TH CENTURY

The domed cover decorated with a central medallion enclosing a coiled confronting dragon, the mythical creature writhes amidst leaves as it pursues a sacred pearl, the beast finely detailed with bulging eyes and scaly skin, with fine fluted chrysanthemum petals to the sides of the box and cover, carved to the interior and base with large stylised chrysanthemum blooms, the flowerheads worked with rows of many narrow petals radiating from the centre, the thin translucent jade of a dark green tone with some black specks, 12.1cm dia. (2)

Provenance: the Lawrence Collection of jades and hardstone carvings, purchased from Spink & Son prior to 1959.

Whilst the central decoration of the dragon in pursuit of a jewel is typically Chinese, the form of this box, with its thin wall and fine flower petals, is likely to have been influenced by Mughal jades.

Cf. F Gu, The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol.1, p.235 for a comparable box and cover with floral decoration to the cover which was excavated from Zhang Zhidong's residence at Nanpi, Hebei, and is now in the collection of the Hebei Provincial Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation.

十八世紀 御製碧玉雕趕珠龍紋菊瓣盒

來源：勞倫斯珍藏玉石，1959年前購於Spink & Son。