A REMARKABLY FINE WHITE JADE ‘DOUBLE BADGER’ GROUP, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A REMARKABLY FINE WHITE JADE ‘DOUBLE BADGER’ GROUP, 18TH-19TH CENTURY China. Skillfully carved in openwork to depict a pair of frolicking badgers arranged head to tail, their legs interlocked in a playful embrace. The badgers with leonine features including muscular limbs with neatly incised fur tufts, the heads well defined with flattened snout, round bulging ears, curling brows, and pricked ears. The superbly polished, translucent stone is of an even white tone. Dimensions: Length 5.2 cm The badger (huan) was a favored auspicious subject in Qing jade carving, its name forming a rebus for ‘joy’ or ‘happiness.’ Depicted in a pair, as here, the animals evoke ‘double joy’ (shuanhuan) and ‘joyful union’ (hehuan), conveying wishes for marital harmony and shared happiness. Their playfully entwined bodies lend this traditional rebus an especially lively and intimate expression. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 1 Price: HKD 150,000 or approx. EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, stone, and subject. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2023, lot 3133 Price: HKD 107,100 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, stone, subject, and size (5 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 26 May 2021, lot 144 Price: HKD 88,200 or approx. EUR 10,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and color of the stone. Note the size (5 cm).

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