Ɏ A GOURD CRICKET CAGE WITH AN IVORY AND TORTOISESHELL COVER, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

拍品描述

Ɏ A GOURD CRICKET CAGE WITH AN IVORY AND TORTOISESHELL COVER, 18TH-19TH CENTURY China. The bulbous body rising to a tall flaring neck fitted with a finely polished ivory rim and cover, the latter inset with a tortoiseshell medallion delicately carved in openwork with an intricate network of blossoming prunus branches. (2) CITES: A CITES certificate number 75/25HH has been issued by the German government on 27 February 2025. Dimensions: Length 9.8 cm The Chinese have long enjoyed the sound of crickets. During the Tang dynasty (618-907), people began keeping crickets in their homes, and by the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), it had become a scholarly pastime. By the eighteenth century, many writings existed describing the different varieties of crickets and their care. The art of selecting and breeding the finest fighting crickets was perfected during the Qing dynasty and remained a monopoly of the imperial court until the beginning of the 19th century. During the winter months, crickets were kept in gourd containers like this, which were warmer than the ceramic ones used in summer. Molded gourd vessels were first produced in the Kangxi Emperor's palace workshop and continued until the Daoguang period. As the habit of keeping crickets spread, so did the workshops outside of the palace producing molded gourd cricket cages. These workshops used clay molds instead of wooden molds, which produced more space for them to create different shapes and decoration. For more detailed discussion, see Hugh Moss and Gerard Tsang, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 246, no. 238. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related gourd and ivory cricket cage with floral decoration, 12.5 cm high, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 2002.271.22a, b. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 18 May 2018, lot 310 Price: GBP 8,750 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the form, simple mold, fine carving, and near identical size (9.3 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s London, 10 May 2016, lot 12 Price: GBP 18,750 or approx. EUR 31,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the gourd and ivory material. Note the slightly different form and the more elaborate tortoiseshell cage. Note the much larger size (17.2 cm). This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

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