Lot 247
CARVED LAPIS LAZULI 'SAGE' BRUSH WASHER
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
Auction: 8 November 2016 at 17:00 GMT
Description
the sage shown seated on the ground reclining against a flat water jar on his side, wearing loose robes revealing his bulbous body
Dimensions
10.2cm long
Footnote
Provenance:
Formerly in the collection of Admiral Arthur William Acland Hood, 1st Baron Hood of Avalon (1824-1901), reputedly acquired from Governor Yeh Ming-ch'en (1807-1859) in 1858; thence by descent.
Arthur Hood began his career in the Royal Navy in 1836 and gained considerable experience before being promoted in November 1854 to command the brig, HMS Acorn. By May 1856 he and his vessel were in China under Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour (1802-1887), commander-in-chief of the East Indies and China Station. In June of 1857 HMS Acorn was involved in the destruction of the fleet of Chinese junks in the Battle of Fatshan Creek and later in the attack on Canton. It is from this period that Hood acquired the pieces comprising his collection.