Object of the Day: A Chinese Jade Ewer

Chinese jade ewer with scroll handle and slightly recessed base, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, circa 1760. H: 14.9 cm. Sold by Marchant Asian Art, London, 2021.

For more than six thousand years, jade was revered by the Chinese as a “heavenly stone”, a symbol of purity and virtue emanating from its hardness, translucence and subtle colors. These qualities are on display in this jade ewer with a scroll handle and a slightly recessed base. The cream color of the stone and the mottled splash of darker tone in the body imparts a “zen” look to the ewer.

Leave a Reply