A CELADON AND BROWN JADE CARVING OF A RAM, LATE MING TO EARLY QING DYNASTY

拍品描述

A CELADON AND BROWN JADE CARVING OF A RAM, LATE MING TO EARLY QING DYNASTY China, 17th-18th century. Sensitively carved, the animal is depicted in a recumbent pose with the legs tucked beneath the body, save for the left foreleg, which extends gracefully forwards. The gently elongated body terminates in a small, tightly curled tail, while the head is held upright and defined by a pair of finely carved pendent ears, neatly incised eyes, and a pointed muzzle. The mouth is delicately rendered in openwork, together with a long goatee descending from the chin and merging with the chest. The well-polished translucent stone is of a celadon tone, harmoniously complemented by a chestnut-brown patch skillfully utilized by the carver to highlight the animal’s head. Dimensions: Length 6.9 cm Rams and sheep have been recurring motifs in Chinese visual culture since early times, appearing as early as the Shang dynasty (16th–11th century BC) on ritual bronze vessels. Sculptures in the round, carved in stone or jade, emerged considerably later. Initially influenced by the artistic traditions of the Eurasian steppe, where wild and domesticated animals frequently adorned harness fittings and belt ornaments, the recumbent pose in which these animals are commonly represented likewise reflects nomadic artistic conventions. This compositional formula became widespread during the Han dynasty and remained popular in subsequent periods, particularly from the Song through the Qing dynasty. Polled rams, such as the present example, are exceptionally rare. The ram is a popular motif in Chinese jade carving, not only because its pronunciation sounds close to the pronunciation of the word ‘xiang’ (auspicious), but also as a symbol of filial piety, patience, and kindness. The ram is further a traditional emblem of good luck, since the Chinese term for ram (or goat), ‘yang’, is also a homophone of ‘yang’ (sun), and represents the male or positive principle in the yin-yang duality. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3255 Price: HKD 300,000 or approx. EUR 49,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related subject, modeling, and manner of carving, with similarly tucked limbs and elongated body. Note the related size (6 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 10 May 2017, lot 47 Price: GBP 40,000 or approx. EUR 64,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related subject, modeling, manner of carving, and stone. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 April 2015, lot 3686 Mid-Estimate: HKD 1,350,000 or approx. EUR 183,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related subject, modeling, and manner of carving.

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