Page 80 - Chinese Jades Nov 30 2017 Hong Kong

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A PALE CELADON JADE ‘SCHOLAR’ PEBBLE 清十七世紀 青白玉雕山居煮茗鎮紙
QING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY
展覽：
the substantial stone of oval section, worked on one face in 《清代玉雕之美》，國立歷史博物館，台北，1997年
relief depicting a scholar seated on a rocky ledge in a grotto, 寶爾文化藝術博物館，加州聖塔安娜，1997-1998年
his head lifted looking at clouds of vaporous steam issuing 休士頓自然科學博物館，德州休士頓，1998年，編號14
from a boiling kettle before him, the reverse similarly worked
with a gnarled pine tree amongst overhanging rocks, the stone
出版：
of an even pale celadon tone
慎德堂，《憐香惜玉》，台北，2001年，編號13。
8.2 cm, 3¼ in.
青白籽玉巧琢岩間高士烹茗閒情，文雅愜意，此類描寫鄉
EXHIBITED
野隱士之玉雕鎮紙仿若微觀山水，置於文人案頭，尺牘之
Jade: Ch’ing Dynasty Treasures from the National Museum of
History, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1997. 間可移情神游，心遠地自偏。
The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Santa Ana, California,
晚明以降雖可見各式尺寸、類似題材之玉石山子，如同此
1997-1998.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, Texas, 件拍品之卵石鎮紙卻甚少見，尺寸適手，把玩挲摩，不僅
1998, cat. no. 14. 可做鎮紙，亦是文房雅玩。
LITERATURE 比較葉義醫師舊藏一件明末清初卵石形岩洞羅漢鎮紙，尺
C.C. Teng & Co., Jade Furnishings from the Scholar’s Studio of 寸略大，展出於《中國玉雕》，香港藝術館，香港，1983
Eighteenth Century, Taipei, 2001, cat. no. 13.
年，頁262，編號234。
HK$ 100,000-150,000
US$ 12,900-19,300

This animated carving has been carefully worked with strong
literati allusions where a scholar is seated within a grotto
boiling tea. The depiction of a reclusive scholar in a rustic
natural setting epitomises the concept of ‘landscape in
miniature’. Small jade carvings of this type were often found
on scholar’s desks, and served as vehicles for the scholar and
connoisseur to be transported in their imagination to far-off
realms.
Although jade mountains of varying sizes rendered with
similar subjects were widely known in the late Ming and Qing
dynasties, pebbles of such form worked with a scholarly
scene were relatively unusual. The present carving, with its
manageable size, would have served not only as a paperweight,
but also a pleasing object to handle or amuse in a scholar’s
studio.
Compare a slightly larger pebble from the collection of Dr Ip
Yee, carved with a luohan in a grotto, attributed to late Ming-
early Qing dynasty, included in the exhibition Chinese Jade
Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, p. 262,
cat. no. 234.

78 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比