Jade Carving Ladies Under a Chinese Parasol Tree

The jade carving Ladies Under a Chinese Parasol Tree was created from a piece of white jade with a yellowish-brown crust during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

In the jade carving, a moon door divides the yard into two parts. The front side of the carving depicts the scene outside: To the right of the door, a lady stands in the shade of a Chinese parasol tree (Firmiana simplex) beside grotesque rocks while holding ganoderma fungus (a symbol of good luck in Chinese culture) in her hands. The back side of the carving depicts the scene inside: On the left are banana trees, a stone table, and stone stools, and on the right is another lady gracefully holding a vase. The moon door is semi-closed, with light penetrating through the crack. It seems that the two ladies on both sides of the door were chatting through the opening.

The jade carving is skillfully designed from a piece of jade leftover after making a bowl. The craftsman ingeniously used its original shape and color to create a moon door in the hollowed-out center and the tree leaves with its yellowish-brown crust, creating a natural artistic masterpiece.

Emperor Qianlong, who was obsessed with jade, cherished the hard-won jade materials and once decreed that leftover jade materials be recycled for reuse. He loved this piece of jade carving in particular and composed a poem on its bottom.

This jade carving perfectly manifests the charm of ingenious designs.

桐蔭仕女玉山

桐蔭仕女玉山為清乾隆年間的玉雕作品，由黃褐色帶皮白玉制成。

玉山以月亮門為界，將庭院隔為內外。院外為玉雕正面，門右側一位仕女手持靈芝而立，周圍環繞桐蔭和假山。院內為玉雕背面，背面左側雕有芭蕉、石桌和石凳，右側仕女手捧寶瓶，身姿款款。月亮門半開半合，虛掩遮映間透著光亮，好似兩位仕女可以透過門縫對視交談，給人以無限遐想。

玉山構思極為巧妙。用材原為雕去玉碗后的余料，玉匠巧妙地利用其形狀特征，結合俏色工藝，即利用玉石原色，以中部空洞為門，以四周褐色玉皮為桐葉、芭蕉，創作出渾然天成的藝術杰作。嗜玉成癖的乾隆皇帝，對來之不易的玉料格外珍惜，曾下旨要求制作玉器的余料要加以利用，他也因此對這件玉器情有獨鐘，作詩一首，刻在玉器的底部。

這件巧奪天工的玉山，向世人完美地詮釋了設計與創意的魅力。