A WHITE JADE ‘MONKEY ON HORSE’ GROUP, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A WHITE JADE ‘MONKEY ON HORSE’ GROUP, 18TH-19TH CENTURY China. Finely carved, the horse depicted in a recumbent posture with its legs tucked beneath the body, the bushy tail sweeping gracefully to one side, and the head rendered with naturalistic detail. Perched on its back is a diminutive monkey, grasping the horse’s luxuriant mane with one hand and the neatly incised reins extending from the bit with the other. The superbly polished, translucent stone is of a white tone with very subtle light brown mottling on the back of the monkey. Dimensions: Length 4.3 cm The present lot is filled with auspicious symbolism. The depiction of a monkey atop a horse forms the rebus ‘mashang fenghou’, conveying the wish for the immediate conferment of the rank of marquis or a speedy appointment to high office. Such a carving would have been an auspicious gift to an aspiring official. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related jade carving depicting the same subject, dated to the Qing dynasty, in the Tianjin Museum. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2018, lot 583 Price: HKD 137,500 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, stone, and subject. Note the related size (6.4 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 14 September 2012, lot 1093 Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, stone, and subject. Note the related size (6.9 cm).

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