21.3 cm. （8 3⁄8 in.） wide

The current lot is a fine representation of the jade workmanship achieved by the Imperial jade ateliers during the Qianlong period. The brushwasher is well-hollowed from an incredibly large piece of jade mined from the Hetian region of China， an accomplishment which requires time and considerable amount of wastage of the precious material， which further signifies the importance of this work of art. The interior is deeply carved with two opening blossoms and a bud amidst intertwined serrated foliage in high relief， showcasing the technical prowess of the master carver； this is in contrast to the smooth and polished finishing of the vessel shape and the intricate suspending ring handles.
The rim of the vessel is delicately carved with a pair of butterflies with elongated antennae looping towards the out-spread wings， which is probably associated to the legend of The Butterfly Lovers which is set in the Eastern Jin dynasty （AD 265-420）. The legend refers to the tragic love story between two star-crossed lovers， Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. Upon their deaths， their spirits emerged in the form of a pair of butterflies， always seen in flight and together， never to be separated again. Finely carved brushwashers such as the present lot were often decorated with auspicious motifs such as bats， fishes， or in this case， butterflies， making them a most suitably-themed gift amongst dignitaries， to bestow the happily married couple eternal marital bliss and joy， embodying the union between husband and wife.
Examples of butterfly motifs on jade wares are found in Imperial collections see a related example of a white jade incense burner with four butterflies handles suspending loose rings in the Palace Museum， Beijing， illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware Vol. II， Shanghai， 2008， pl.27.

Provenance：
John Sparks Ltd.， London， 29 November 1954
A European Private Collection

Price estimate:
HKD: 1, 300, 000-1, 800, 000
USD: 166, 700-230, 800

Auction Result:
HKD: --