A Chinese pale celadon and black jade `champion` vase and cover, Qianlong mark and of the period (1736-95), the twin cylinders carved in low relief with bands of archaistic cicada derived lappets and C-scrolls, joined by the central figure of a crested eagle with outspread wings and a ring in its beak, standing on the head of a mythical bear-like creature, the reverse with a pair of conjoined vertical lugs, the twin domed cover joined by an openwork `chilong` (head lacking), the semi-translucent stone of good even tone with attractive black `ink-splash` inclusions, engraved mark to the base `Da Qing Qianlong Fanggu`, with remnants of gilding, 9.3in. (23.7cm)

Provenance: Collection of William Keswick (1834-1912) and thence by descent.

William Keswick began working for Jardines in China and Hong Kong in 1855, his mother having been a niece of William Jardine. In 1859 he established an office in Yokohama, Japan, becoming a partner in the firm, based in Hong Kong, in 1862. In 1874 he became Tai-pan (Cantonese for `big-shot` or `top class`) of Jardines, with the firm withdrawing from the opium trade in 1879 to diversify into shipping, property development and other commercial fields.

Keswick eventually left Jardines in 1886 to become a senior director of Matheson & Co in London. He served three terms on the Legislative & Executive Councils of Hong Kong between 1868 and 1887, was a director of the Hudson`s Bay Company and had numerous other business interests. By 1899 he was residing at Eastwick Park, Great Bookham, Surrey and was returned unopposed as conservative MP for Epsom. He is buried at St Nicholas`, Great Bookham.

Vases of this design were produced during the Ming and Qing dynasties, although the original form would most likely have been found in bronze from the Han dynasty or earlier. The low relief patterns on the cylinders are archaistic and the mark fanggu, `Imitating antiquity`, reinforces the fact that the jade carver is harking back to archaic designs.

The shape of this vase is sometimes known as `champion`s vase`, which is derived from the Chinese, ying (eagle) and xiong (bear), describing the two beasts represented, but also forming the pun on the word for `champion` or `hero`. Alternatively, the vessel is also known as a `nuptial cup`, he jing bei, as it is believed that during the Ming dynasty, it was used as a ritual wine vessel during the wedding ceremony. The double cylinders were filled with wine to be drunk by the bride and groom as part of the marriage rites.

A very similar double-vase with cover from the Victoria and Albert Museum, Salting Bequest museum no. C.1948-1910, was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, 1975, and illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 442. Three similar examples were sold by Sotheby`s, New York, The Concordia House Collection, 19th March 2007, lot 20; Christie`s, Hong Kong, The Imperial Sale, 1st June 2011, lot 3621 and Christie`s, New York, Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 13th-14th September 2012, lot 1032. Another is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, Hebei meishu chubanshe, vol. 6, Qing, 1991, pl. 244; while an example carved from spinach-green jade and also bearing a Da Qing Qianlong Fanggu mark, is illustrated in Jadeware (III), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, 42, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 151. Compare also two other variations on this vase, both from the Hartman Collection, illustrated by R. Kleiner, op. cit., 1996, nos. 72 and 77.

The present example differs to the other jade `champion` vases which have appeared on the market in recent years as it has the unusual combination of pale celadon stone with black inclusions reminiscent of ink splashes.