CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, ÉPOQUE QIANLONG (1736-1795)

During the Qianlong era, the Emperor commissioned jade mountains, plaques, and panels adorned with scenes of mountainous landscapes, drawing inspiration from renowned painters. The Emperor's personal fascination and the abundant availability of large Khotan jades following the pacification of the region in 1759 led to a surge in the crafting of exquisitely carved jade boulders of various sizes, depicting intricate landscapes reminiscent of literati paintings. A comparison can be made with a set of jade mountains featuring landscape motifs from the Beijing Palace Museum Collection, as depicted in Jadeware (III), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1996, numbers 72-74.