A large spinach-green jade 'mountain' boulder, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

Sotheby’s New York, 9th October 1987, lot 223.

The present boulder is notable for its enormity, exceptionally fine carving and rich spinach color. Following the advent of the Qing dynasty under the Shunzhi Emperor and its consolidation by his children and grandchildren, court arts – and particularly jade carving – experienced an unprecedented wave of development in the eighteenth century. With rebellions quashed by Chinese forces in the Northwest between 1755 and 1759 and the establishment of national rule over Xinjiang, trade between the jade mines of Hetian (Khotan) and the carving centers of the eastern seaboard reached new heights and provided artisans with large boulders and much coveted jade colors almost unheard of in earlier periods. Over the brief fifty-two year period between the conquest of Xinjiang and the start of the Daoguang reign, scholars posit that roughly 300,000 jin (over 150 tonnes) of jade entered the imperial court where it was worked with exceptional skill.    

Boulders of this scale and fine workmanship are exceptionally rare and were produced only for the most wealthy and noble clientele, most likely within the imperial court itself. Compare a similarly-sized spinach-green boulder of Qianlong mark and period carved with a scene of the immortal island Pengdao from the De An Tang Collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2023, lot 3650; and another uninscribed example of similar size from the Burton Collection, sold at Christie’s London, 8th November 2011, lot 88.