QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
LENGTH: 12CM
The waterpot is fashioned from a single block of rock crystal,
depicting the renowned Tang dynasty poet Li Bai ( 李白) seated with
his left sleeve resting on a raised left leg. He leans against a
wine jar and is flanked on his left by a squatting attendant. The
waterpot is transparent with traces of natural stone inclusions and
polished to a glossy finish.
Li Bai (701-762), pronounced as Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai ( 太白),
was heralded as one of the greatest poets during the ‘Golden Age of
Chinese Poetry’. Around 1000 poems were attributed as his works and
he has since become a legendary figure, often visually depicted as a
scholar leaning against a wine jar.
A spinach green jade waterpot in the Qing court
collection, with similar rendering of the scholar’s face, is
illustrated in the Classics of Forbidden City: Scholar’s
Paraphernalia 故宮博物院編故宮經典：文房清供, Beijing, 2009, p. 92,
Catalogue No. 69. A white jade example dated to Ming to Qing
dynasty, is published in the National Palace Museum book Wenfang
Juying (Volume 1 of 2) 國立故宮博物院文 房聚英（全一冊） 圖版篇,
Taipei, 1993, p. 153, Catalogue No. 129.
PROVENANCE
Collection of Gerard Arnhold (1918-2010), a German philanthropist
and ardent collector of Chinese Art.
Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1983
PUBLISHED IN
Spink & Son Ltd.’s published catalogue The Minor Arts of China ,
London, 1983, p. 92, Catalogue No. 146.
| 清中期 水晶雕李白醉酒水丞 |
