Spinach green jade vase ‘Landscape with imperial poems’, Qing dynasty

Carved from spinach-green jade, this elegant vase with a faceted body and trapezoidal base is topped with a matching lid. At the neck are two openwork handles in the shape of stylised dragons. Both the mouth and shoulders are decorated with geometric friezes in relief, inspired by archaic motifs.

On the front, there is an engraved scene decorated in gold with a traditional architectural ensemble and figures engaged in courtly activities, surrounded by leafy trees and mountains. The reverse side features an imperial poetic inscription in gold characters, executed in vertical columns.

Size: 27.3 × 10.4 × 3.7 cm

Weight: 1166.9 g