Page 38 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art June 2015 Hong Kong

18
A RARE LARGE PALE GREEN JADE BUDDHIST LION AND CUB
CARVING
18th century
The even-toned pale green stone skilfully carved as a recumbent
Buddhist lion turning its head to the right, its large eyes framed by
elegantly curling brows and the grinning mouth grasping the tassels of
a large brocade ball balanced on its haunches, a playful cub lies on the
lion’s back resting its head on the ball, its thick tail in three tufts raised
over its knobbed spine.
15.5cm (6 1/8in) wide

HK$500,000 - 800,000
US$65,000 - 100,000

十八世紀 青白玉雕太獅少獅擺件

Provenance 來源:
Purchased from Mademoiselle Logé, 3 Rue Bourdaloue, Paris, 1913
Roger Keverne Ltd., London, 16 June 2006, no.95
An English private collection

1913年購自位於巴黎3 Rue Bourdaloue的Mademoiselle Logé
2006年6月16日購自倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，編號95
英國私人收藏

Exhibited 展覽:
Musée Cernuschi, Jades et Pierres Dures de la Chine, March 1927
Musée Cernuschi, Les Fleurs et Oiseaux dans l’Art Chinoise,
April 1929

Carved from a large pale green stone, the piece maximises the 動物題材在清代玉雕極為盛行，常見有馬、象、瑞獸如麒麟或佛獅，
craftsman’s possibilities for the high quality stone newly available in 本玉雕為其中一例。「大獅小獅」取「獅」與「師」之同音，寓「太
the 18th century from Khotan, resulting in an impressively weighty 師少師」之意，象徵官祿代代相傳之意。
sculpture that still retains a purity and playfulness to captivate the
viewer. Large jade animal carvings represent some of the finest 相關例子可參考《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系：玉器（II）》，上
jade products from the early Qing dynasty, leading to the heights 海，2008年，圖版161；另一例子可見R.Keverne編，《Jade》，倫
of achievement associated with the reign of the Qianlong emperor. 敦，1995年，頁163，圖90。再對比一件十八世紀例子，著錄於《閣
Animals including horses and elephants were popular; true also for 有天珍: 中國文房玉雕》，香港，2008年，圖版104。Bernard Sunley
mythical beasts such as the qilin or the Buddhist lions as in the present 舊藏有一件十八世紀的例子，拍賣於倫敦邦瀚斯，2013年5月16日，
lot, with the latter group arguably being the rarest. 拍品125。

The depiction here of a parent and cub, amusingly toying with a
brocade ball, evokes thoughts of family strength and longevity
(particularly associated with the long ribbons tied to the ball). In
addition, the image of a smaller and a larger Buddhist lion, dashi
xiaoshi 大獅小獅, resembles and forms the pun taishi shaoshi 太師少
師, which literally translates as ‘May you and your descendant achieve
high rank’.

Related jade carvings can be found in important museum and private
collections. Compare a pale green and russet jade group of a Buddhist
lion and two cubs playing with a brocade ball, Qing dynasty, illustrated
in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum:
Jadeware (II), Shanghai, 2008, pl.161. Another slightly larger carving
of a single lion, is illustrated by R.Keverne, ed., Jade, London, 1995,
p.163, fig.90. See also a slightly larger white jade Buddhist lion and
cub group, 18th century, illustrated in Virtuous Treasures: Chinese
Jades for the Scholar’s Table, Hong Kong, 2008, pl.104.

A rare and large pale green jade carving of a Buddhist lion, 18th
century, from the Bernard Sunley collection, sold in our London rooms,
16 May 2013, lot 125.

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