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AN EXTREMELY RARE YELLOW AND RUSSET ‘DRAGON AND PHOENIX’ JADE CUP, HAN DYNASTY Published: Jean-Paul Desroches (ed.) et al, The Beginning of the World. Dragons, Phoenix and Other Chimera, Fondation Baur, Geneva, 2020, p. 226 and 230, no. 153. Exhibited: 1. Fondation Baur, The Beginning of the World – According to the Chinese. Dragons, Phoenix and Other Chimera, Geneva, 11 November 2020-23 May 2021. 2. Musée Départemental des Arts Asiatiques, The Beginning of the World – According to the Chinese. Dragons, Phoenix and Other Chimera, Nice, Summer 2021. China, 206 BC-220 AD. The tubular cup is supported on a flaring foot and rises to a bulbous section carved in relief with a row of petals. The upper portion of the sides is decorated in low relief with stylized dragons and phoenixes amid bands of archaic comma scrolls and finely hatched borders. The semi-translucent stone is of a pale celadon tone with cloudy white inclusions, russet patches, and areas of calcification. Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012. Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear, little nibbling, signs of weathering, and traces of prolonged burial. Microscopic encrustations. Natural fissures and inclusions, some of which may have developed into thin hairline cracks. Weight: 338.8 g Dimensions: Height 14.7 cm Jade cups of this particular form are exceedingly rare. Vessels like the present example were not merely luxury items signifying wealth and status but also belonged to a category of wares closely associated with longevity and the pursuit of immortality. The quest for immortality was a central preoccupation among the Han dynasty elite, fueled by the growing influence of Daoist sects by the mid-2nd century. Highly valued for its translucency, hardness, and symbolic durability, jade was believed to possess protective powers. Liquids held in jade vessels were thought to absorb these properties, transforming them into magical elixirs capable of granting immortality. A very similar jade cup found in the tomb of the King of Nanyue was buried with a lobed jade stand attached to a bronze basin. Scholars suggest it is likely a dew-collecting object associated with immortality elixirs, see literature comparison below. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related pale celadon jade cup with bronze stand, found in the tomb of the King of Nanyue, dated to the Western Han, 23.6 cm tall, in the Nanyue King Museum, Guangzhou, accession number 6104. Compare a related jade cup, dated 221-206 BC, 14.5 cm tall, in the Xi‘an Museum. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, 9 November 2017, lot 2 Price: GBP 31,250 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very rare black and brown jade stem cup, Western Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related form and relief work. Note the size (10.1 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 9 October 2020, lot 16 Price: HKD 21,955,000 or approx. EUR 2,638,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An extremely rare and important jade 'twin bird' stem cup, Western Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related form, color of the jade, and relief work. Note the size (11.3 cm) and form of the foot.

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Jade