A CELADON AND RUSSET JADE PLAQUE WITH AN IMPERIAL INSCRIPTION

MING DYNASTY (1368-1644), WITH QIANLONG IMPERIAL INSCRIPTION DATED TO 1772

HEIGHT: 6.7CM

The thick plaque is of rounded rectangular form and carved in relief on the front with a rear-facing standing ram next to two recumbent rams in a craggy grotto under a pine tree overhang. The reverse is finely incised with a Qianlong imperial inscription titled Kaitai shuo 開泰說 (“prose on renewal and a change of fortune or prosperity”). The poem is followed by the characters reading Qianlong renchen mengchun yuzhi 乾隆壬辰孟春御製 (‘made by his majesty in the first month of the renchen year during the Qianlong period’, corresponding to 1772), ended with two seals tai 太 and pu 璞 (‘unpolished jade’).

PROVENANCE
Lord & Lady Cunliffe Collection, UK

明代/ 乾隆題字　御製褐斑淺青玉三羊開泰圖詩文小山子