PRINTThe charm of the subject matter and the three-dimensionality of the present lot depicts an elephant with its truck curled on its sides and eyes carefully delineated. The saddle blanket terminating with nine tassels symbolizes longevity and eternity while the depiction of a boy climbing on an elephant represents qi xiang, which translates to auspicious. Compare with an elephant and buys carving modeled in a very similar posture in the Collection of the Asian art museum of San Francisco, illustrated in Later Chinese Jades-Ming dynasty to early twentieth century, San Francisco, pl.312, p.282. Compare also with another elephant and boys jade carving in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The complete collection of treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware III, Hong Kong, 1995, pl.97 and 98, pp.117-118. See a similar jade elephant from the Richard J. Robertson collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 28th March 1996, lot 1.
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8088
A JADE ‘ELEPHANT AND BOYS’ CARVING
QING DYNASTY |
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Well carved as an elephant standing on its four stumpy foot with its head turned backwards and tail curled, wearing an elaborate tasseled saddle blanket finely carved in relief with auspicious bats amidst stylized clouds, a boy clambering its back holding a lingzhi sprig in his hand with which he uses to direct the elephant, another smiling boy emerges from the back grasping onto a leafy stalk, the stone of good pale green colour with areas of russet inclusions. |
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Estimate
350,000 - 560,000 1,367,000 - 2,188,000 45,100 - 72,200
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The charm of the subject matter and the three-dimensionality of the present lot depicts an elephant with its truck curled on its sides and eyes carefully delineated. The saddle blanket terminating with nine tassels symbolizes longevity and eternity while the depiction of a boy climbing on an elephant represents qi xiang, which translates to auspicious. Compare with an elephant and buys carving modeled in a very similar posture in the Collection of the Asian art museum of San Francisco, illustrated in Later Chinese Jades-Ming dynasty to early twentieth century, San Francisco, pl.312, p.282. Compare also with another elephant and boys jade carving in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The complete collection of treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware III, Hong Kong, 1995, pl.97 and 98, pp.117-118. See a similar jade elephant from the Richard J. Robertson collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 28th March 1996, lot 1.