Autumn Mountain Travel Map Yushan

[Travel Map of Autumn Mountain in Yushan]

Travel Map of Autumn Mountain in Yushan, Qianlong, Qing Dynasty, with a height of 130 centimeters, a bottom width of 70 centimeters, a thickness of 30 centimeters, and a copper seat height of 25 centimeters
This work is also known as the “Tour of Guanshan” in Yushan. Made from jade materials from Xinjiang, the raw material has a strong stone nature, with light yellow markings in the middle, and heavy locks throughout the body, like ice cracks. After careful design and ingenious arrangement by craftsmen, measuring materials and applying techniques has turned disadvantages into advantages. Using the vertical and horizontal grain patterns of the jade material itself, it is carved into jagged boulders that resemble the cutting of an axe by nature, while the pale yellow blemishes just reflect the scenery of fallen leaves in the mountains and trees, and withered and yellow vegetation in late autumn. The overall scenery of the Jade Mountain is tortuous and orderly, with distinct layers, naturally integrating the characteristics of jade materials and the carved themes
According to the archives of the Internal Affairs Office of the Palace of Qing Dynasty, the production of this jade mountain began on November 13, 31 year of Qianlong’s reign (1766). Initially produced in Beijing, but later due to slow progress, it was shipped to the two Huaihe rivers and commissioned by Yangzhou. According to the seven-character imperial poem written by Emperor Qianlong for this jade mountain in 1770, it can be seen that the end of the poem should not be later than this year. After Yushan entered the inner court, Emperor Qianlong wrote poems to praise him twice in the 35th and 39th years of Qianlong’s reign (1774). The poem describes the exquisite craftsmanship and refinement of this jade mountain, praising the superb craftsmanship of the producer
There is a common characteristic of large-scale jade carving works in the Qing Dynasty, that is, none of them takes the quality of jade materials as the sole criterion for judging the quality of their works. Although the texture of some works is not very exquisite, they have become unparalleled artistic treasures after proper artistic treatment by craftsmen