• Dimension: Height: 16 1/2 in (41.9 cm) Width: 9 in (22.9 cm)
• Estimate From: $30000
• Estimate To: $60000

The decoration on each of the four sides of the high-shouldered, tapering body is arranged in horizontal registers divided by vertical flange.The four upper registers are carved in relief with large taotie masks, three of those are centered by an animal mask. The rounded shoulder is carved with pairs of elephant head suspend loose ring, fitted with a high domed cover carved with four stylized taotie masks surmounted by a quadrangular knop, the underside inscribed with three character mark 'Mao Qin Dian'. Qing Dynasty Qianlong period.

乾隆皇帝有詩雲：“懋勤筆硯例恒隨”、“凡文房四事，由各處呈進備用。頒賜各件，皆存懋勤殿庫”。懋勤殿兼本房太監數額、職掌如下：七品首領一，執守侍。八品首領一，侍監。太監十。專司承值禦筆並收掌文房書籍、登載內起居註及禦前坐更等事。在各種儀式中涉及文房器用者，均由懋勤殿太監負責。紫光閣武試儀，“懋勤殿太監陳列朱筆暖硯於案”；每歲十二月初一日，賞賜福字儀，“懋勤殿首領太監陳龍箋、大筆、墨海於重華宮祗候，皇帝以‘賜福蒼生筆’書‘福’字十余幅貼各宮”；秋讞勾到儀，“懋勤殿太監設寶座，案東向，陳筆硯文具”；恭遇每歲新正，特召內廷大學士、翰林於重華宮茶宴聯句，“宮殿監豫請所司具茶果，承應宴戲，懋勤殿首領太監等具筆墨紙硯”。此拍品取大塊黃玉為料，玉質細膩溫和，光滑瑩透。器呈方尊造型，長方口略外鼓，上置帶鈕頂蓋，四面中心和四角皆有出戟，從蓋面一直延伸至足邊。折肩兩側置雙獸耳帶環，鼻長如象，耳圓似熊，展現出一種凡間未有的異獸樣貌。尊體一側從上到下分置制端、狻猊、瑞羊首，其中羊首銜環，在一個畫面中同時展露三種瑞獸的形象，氣勢磅礴浩大。玉尊遍體通過犀利的運刀鐫出大小不一、姿態各異的饕餮獸面紋樣，而這些紋樣處處都表現得線條誇張，目光兇猛，結合黃玉清透鐫麗的質感，充滿神秘威嚴、不可侵犯的氣勢。足內底部鐫有“懋勤殿”三字篆書款。懋勤殿位於北京故宮西南角，與端凝店相對，原為皇帝讀書、批閱奏本、鑒賞書畫的地方。“懋勤”二字取自“懋學勤政”，呈現出頗為儒雅的文化氛圍，存放著皇帝禦用的圖書瀚海、文房四寶，而此黃玉方尊作為當時極為受到推崇的仿古器之一，可想也曾被置於此房案頭，體現出清宮中流行的文雅風尚，而碩大厚重的器體，也應令其在眾多器物中處於極為醒目的位置。來源：北加州重要藏家提供
Provenance: Property from an important private collection, Northern California