After Waterfall and Soughing Pine

An old man and his young attendant stand on a ledge, shaded by a pine tree. They watch a waterfall as it cascades down the steep mountainside. The old gentleman holds a tall staff and caresses his beard. The pine needles are depicted in the same manner as the ones on the soapstone carving (B81 J2). The craftworker worked with the natural fissures of this material to create a simple yet powerful composition.

Inscribed on the cliff above is a poem composed by the Qianlong emperor for a painting titled "Waterfall and Soughing Pine," by the Ming dynasty painter Wen Zhengming. The poem describes a man of superior attainments who carries a stick and admires the waterfall and pine trees in a snowy landscape. This jade mountain is most probably inspired by the Wen Zhengming painting, as were many of the jade mountains made in the 1700s (see the lapis lazuli piece B60 J31). The choice of material may be intentional, for the grayish–white jade with black mottling and streaks resembles a snowy landscape.