† A SUPERBLY CARVED BALTIC AMBER AND GOLD 'DRAGON' BEAD, KANGXI PERIOD

拍品描述

† A SUPERBLY CARVED BALTIC AMBER AND GOLD 'DRAGON' BEAD, KANGXI PERIOD Expert’s note Superbly carved with two dragons, this rare bead is likely to have been used as a separator in a Buddhist rosary necklace for a member of the Qing Imperial family, if not the Emperor himself. Corals and similarly colored ambers were treasured for their even luster and vivid auspicious color, and their specific use was already included in the earliest basic rules relating to the Imperial wardrobe by the second ruler of the Qing dynasty, Hong Taiji, father of the Shunzhi Emperor (r. 1643-1661) in 1636. Costume and jewelry is represented in this manuscript for both men and women, starting with the Emperor down through many of the ranks of the Imperial clan. A painting of Empress Dowager Xiao Zhuangwen (1613-1688), consort of Hong Taiji, mother of the Shunzhi Emperor and grandmother of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1662-1722), wearing non-official clothing and holding a rosary with four large coral-colored dividers, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, was included in the exhibition Kangxi, Empereur de Chine, Musée national du Château de Versailles, Versailles, 2004, cat. no. 50. A specific function of such beads is also discussed by Gary Dickinson and Linda Wrigglesworth in Imperial Wardrobe, Berkeley, 2000, p. 158, where the authors note that four larger coral-colored beads were used as separators in the emperor’s principal chaozhu (court necklace). China, 1662-1722. Of globular form, the exterior is exquisitely carved with a pair of ferocious four-clawed dragons amid tumultuous waves chasing a flaming pearl, each powerfully modeled, their scaly bodies terminating in muscular limbs and sharp claws. The bead is pierced vertically and embellished with minute gold filigree bands of ruyi and lappets. A third aperture runs horizontally to the inner channel. Dimensions: Height 3.5 cm (excl. stand), 11.4 cm (incl. stand) Mounted on a modern stand. (2) Literature comparison: Compare a silver-mounted amber hat finial with coral and turquoise inlay, dated to the Qianlong period, 4.1 cm wide, in the National Palace Museum, reference number 故雜006421N000000000. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Paris, 11 June 2008, lot 255 Price: EUR 32,900 or approx. EUR 43,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related material and manner of carving. Note the size (9.2 cm). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

图片