Page 67 - CHRISTIE'S Marchant Nine Decades of Chinese Art 09/14/17

藝臻期頤-MARCHANT珍藏中國藝術品

725 A LARGE WHITE JADE OPENWORK The present plaque is unusual for its large size, which permits
‘DRAGON’ PLAQUE the inclusion of two smaller dragons fanking the central dragon.
Another openwork plaque of similar size, but with four smaller
MING DYNASTY (1368-1644) dragons surrounding the central dragon, from the collection
of Mr. David R. S. Ezekiel, was included in the exhibition of
The large oval plaque is deeply carved with a central dragon The Oriental Ceramic Society, Chinese Jade throughout the ages,
incised with scales and with its body coiled around a faming Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, and illustrated in
pearl. The dragon is fanked by two smaller dragons writhing the Catalogue, p. 124, no. 407, and further illustrated by
amid leafy stems and lotus blossoms, all above a second layer M. Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2005, p. 31, no. 27.
of openwork carving of branches and leaves. The carving
is mounted on an integral, round-edged frame with four A similar but smaller openwork plaque dated to the Ming
piercings on the reverse for attachment, and the stone is a very dynasty is illustrated by J. C. Y. Watt, Chinese Jades from the
pale greenish-white with some greyish areas and inclusions on Collection of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1989 p. 78, no. 51.
the back. Another smaller plaque with a single front-facing dragon is
6 in. (15.2 cm.) wide illustrated in The Complete Treasures of the Palace Museum - 41 -
Jadeware (II), Hong Kong, 1995, p. 214, no. 172. A related large
$15,000-20,000 ‘dragon’ plaque from the James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas,
Texas, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2015, lot 661.
PROVENANCE

Private collection of a distinguished scientist, near
Toulouse, France.

明 白玉透雕龍穿花飾

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