Page 121 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art June 2015 Hong Kong

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED
EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
歐洲顯赫私人收藏

54
A FINE VERY PALE GREEN JADE FIGURE OF
GUANYIN AND ATTENDANT
19th century
Carved standing in long flowing robes beside a
young boy, probably depicting Shancai, with hands
clasped together wearing a celestial ribbon, with
one hand holding a rosary and the other tucked in
her robes, her slender face carved with a peaceful
smiling expression, the stone of a very pale green
tone, wood stand.
19cm (7 1/2in) high (2).

HK$150,000 - 200,000
US$19,000 - 26,000

十九世紀 青白玉雕觀音善財立像

Provenance 來源:
An English private collection, acquired before 1980,
and thence by descent

英國私人收藏，於1980年前購得，並由家族成員
繼承

Legend has it that Shancai was a disabled boy
from India who wanted to study the dharma. Upon
hearing that there was a Buddhist teacher on the
rocky island of Putuo he journeyed there and found
Guanyin despite his disability. Guanyin decided to
test the boy’s resolve to fully study the Buddhist
teachings, conjuring the illusion of three sword-
wielding pirates running up the hill to attack her.
Shancai, seeing that his teacher was in danger,
hobbled uphill and when seeing Guanyin jumping
over the edge of the cliff, followed her. Shancai fell
down the cliff but was halted in mid-air by Guanyin,
who now asked him to walk. Shancai found that
he could walk normally and that he was no longer
crippled. When he looked into a pool of water he
also discovered that he now had a very handsome
face. From that day forth, Guanyin taught Shancai
the dharma.

Compare a related white jade figure of Guanyin on
rockwork, Qing dynasty, from the Palace Museum,
Beijing, illustrated in Noble Virtuosity: Imperial Jades
of the Qing Dynasty from the Palace Museum,
Macau, 2012, pl.12. A related smaller white jade
figure of Guanyin, Qianlong, carved seated on
rockwork, sold at Sotheby’s Paris, 9 June 2011,
lot 19; see also a related pale celadon jade figure
of Guanyin standing on a dragonfish, 19th century,
sold at Sotheby’s New York, 16-17 September
2014, lot 269.

北京故宮博物院藏一件清代白玉雕觀音，可資參
考，見《君子比德：故宮珍藏清代玉器精品集》，
澳門，2012年，圖版12。另見一件清乾隆雕觀音坐
像，後於巴黎蘇富比售出，2011年6月9日，編號19
。另有一件19世紀青玉雕觀音立像，售於紐約蘇富
比，2014年9月15-17日，編號269。