Page 51 - Sotheby's Important Jades, Amber & Hardstones Oct. 3, 2018

Deftly carved in the round, a sense of harmony and playful 此玉象圓雕，造型和諧生動，雕工淺深有致。大象敦厚剛
energy has been skilfully achieved in this piece through the 健，象徵智慧，三位童子攀洗象身，活潑可愛，與大象之
masterful composition and varying depths of carving. The 沉實穩重成鮮明對比。淺雕紋飾，更顯白玉細潤無瑕，場
three boys, each individually carved with delighted expressions
景溫馨可人。
as they each enthusiastically engage in the washing of
the elephant, contrast with the solidity of the creature to 此類大象童子玉雕，極為罕見，象身掏摚為皿，象背上瓶
successfully embody the power and wisdom it symbolises.
The fine shallow-relief carving further accentuates both the 為蓋，極為罕見。參考一件類例，玉象造型相似，馱寶
flawless quality of the white stone as well as the intimacy of 瓶，瓶身中空，童子左右各一，出自德安堂收藏，曾展於
the scene. 《玉緣：德安堂藏玉》，故宮博物院，北京，2004年，編
It is extremely rare to find elephant and boys carvings of 號87，售於倫敦蘇富比1995年12月5日，編號101。另一
this type whereby the elephant has been hollowed and the 例，錄於《中國玉器全集》，卷6，石家莊，1993年，圖
vase fashioned as a cover. Compare a white jade vessel of 版270。童子洗象，寓意喜樂福寧，象背馱瓶，取音「太
a similarly rendered elephant surmounted by a hollowed jar
平有象，玉堂富貴」首語，亦為新春賀語。
flanked by two boys, from the De An Tang collection, included
in the exhibition A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, 再有一件近例，兩個童子及花枝攀纏象身，象背馱花
Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 87, sold in our London rooms, 5th
December 1995, lot 101; and another illustrated in Zhongguo 盆，Alan and Simone Hartman 伉儷珍藏，圖載於
yuqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese jades], vol. 6, Robert Kleiner，《Chinese Jades from the Collection
Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 270. The motif of children washing an of Alan and Simone Hartman》，香港，1996年，圖版
elephant represents happiness and good fortune while a vase 170。北京故宮博物院藏一例，飾一對童子騎象，錄於
on the back of an elephant evokes the rebus taiping youxiang,
《故宮博物院藏品大系．玉器編》，卷9，北京，2011
yutang fugui (‘may there be peace and may your noble house
be blessed with wealth and honour’), which is traditionally 年，圖版136。Jonathan Woolf 爵士藏一青白玉象，錄於
spoken during New Year celebrations. 《The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade》，倫敦，2013
Related white jade figure carvings of elephants with boys 年，圖版96。
include one, depicting two boys with floral sprays clambering
about the elephant surmounted with a potted plant, from the 清朝皇帝萬壽喜慶，多有大象背馱寶瓶，加入巡遊。佛教
Alan and Simone Hartman collection, illustrated in Robert 崇象，象背馱瓶的形象亦源於佛教；白象代表修行者願行
Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone 殷深，辛勤不倦；寶瓶乃供養佛菩薩的法器。象亦與釋迦
Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 170; another modelled with 牟尼佛和普賢菩薩有關。據傳釋迦牟尼佛前世是一頭象，
two boys riding an elephant, in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
published in Gugong bowuyuan wenwu cangpin daxi. Yuqi juan/ 普賢菩薩則多乘白象。象耳可見細筋脈，驟看似蓮葉，後
Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, vol. 者代表心境澄明，一切有緣眾生皆可成佛。
9: Qing, Beijing, 2011, pl. 136; and a green jade version from
the collection of Sir Jonathan Woolf, illustrated in The Woolf
Collection of Chinese Jade, London, 2013, pl. 96.
In the Qing dynasty, elephants were associated with the
imperial court and very often appeared carrying vases on
their backs during processions celebrating the Emperor’s
birthday. This imagery originates in Buddhism, where the
vase represents an offering to the deity being worshipped. In
Buddhism the elephant enjoyed high status, as white elephants
symbolise the tamed and strong mind of the practitioner.
Furthermore, it is also related to both Shakyamuni Buddha,
the Historical Buddha, and Samantabhadra, the bodhisattva
of compassion; the former is said to have been born as an
elephant in one of his previous incarnations, while the latter is
often shown riding a white elephant. The ears of the elephant,
which are characterised by thin veins running through them,
are believed to resemble the leaves of the lotus flower, which
symbolise spiritual purity and the ability of all sentient beings
to attain Buddhahood.

IMPORTANT JADES, AMBERS AND HARDSTONES FROM A DISTINGUISHED CONNOISSEUR 49