Page 68 - CHRISTIE'S Marchant Nine Decades of Chinese Art 09/14/17

MARCHANT: NINE DECADES IN CHINESE ART

726 A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE CARVING The motif of the eagle (ying) attacking a bear (xiong) is a
OF A BEAR AND EAGLE rebus for a hero or champion (yingxiong), suggesting that the
carving would have been appropriate as a gift for someone
MING DYNASTY (1368-1644) serving in the military.

The bear is carved with the right foreleg stepping forwards and Although the yingxiong motif was particularly popular during
is incised with fur details around the face and on the back of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the present depiction of the
the legs. The eagle is perched on the hind quarters of the bear bear, in particular, echoes the Han style: see, for example, a
with its feather-incised wings partially spread over the beast. jade bear with similar treatment of the fur details and snout,
The white stone has a few russet highlights and grey speckles. from the tomb of the Han emperor Yuandi (r. 48-33 BC),
3 in. (7.6 cm.) long and another example in the British Museum, both illustrated
by J. Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing,
$30,000-40,000 London, 1995, pp. 350-51, fgs. 2a and 1, respectively.

PROVENANCE 明 白玉英雄把件

Constance Margaret Goldney (1920-2008) Collection,
Ightham, Kent, England.

Constance Goldney was born into a military family, and
she served as a Captain in the Women’s Royal Army Corps.
She later moved to Hong Kong where she worked as the
assistant, advisor and confdante to several chairmen
of HSBC.

(another view)
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