Page 266 - Nov 29 2017 HK Important Chinese Ceramics

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY
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A PIERCED WHITE JADE ‘LONGEVITY’ PLAQUE 以壽字為紋飾的玉飾早於宋代既已出現，但於明清二朝較為流行。試比
SONG-MING DYNASTY (960-1644) 較北京故宮博物院所藏一件宋代玉鏤雕壽字竹節式環形飾，見故宮博物
The rectangular plaque is framed within a bamboo border and 院藏文物珍品全集《玉器（中）》，香港，1995年，頁54，圖版45號；
well carved in openwork on both sides with auspicious motifs. 以及一套明代鏤空「壽」字帶板，見同上，頁209，圖版168號。另參考
One scene encloses a deer and a crane in flight amid entwining 劉瑞隆先生珍藏一件明代白玉透雕帶板，上刻壽字、兔子及蓮花為飾，
pine trees. On the other side, the centred Shou character is flanked 載於《閣有天珍：中國文房玉雕》，香港，2008年，圖版86號。
by two prunus flowers on either side, with a bat on the top right
corner. The stone is of an even white tone with some faint natural 來源
russet fissures. 美國私人珍藏
2 √ in. (7.3 cm.) diam. 歐洲私人珍藏，1997年入藏
HK$60,000-80,000 US$7,800-10,000
PROVENANCE
An American private collection
A European private collector, acquired in 1997
The incorporation of Shou character as part of the design within a
bamboo-form border appears on jade carvings as early as the Song
period, and became much more popular during the Ming and Qing
periods. For a Song-dynasty jade openwork plaque with similar design
of cranes and shou character within a circular bamboo-form border, see
the example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (II), Hong
Kong, 1995, p. 54, no.45 (fig. 1). Compare also to a set of Ming-dynasty
white jade plaques with Shou characters, one of which is illustrated in
The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware
(II), Hong Kong, 1995, no. 168; and a Ming-dynasty white jade openwork
belt plaque with a shou character, rabbits and lotus flower motif
from the Michael S. L. Liu Collection, exhibited in Virtuous Treasures:
Chinese Jades for the Scholar’s Table, Hong Kong, 2008, no.86.
The various motifs on the current plaque convey multiple auspicious
meanings, the ‘Three Friends of Winter’, pine, prunus and bamboo,
represents perseverance and resilience; deer, crane and the character
shou all symbolise longevity; and bat is a homophone for fortune. fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
圖一 北京故宮博物院藏品
宋/明 白玉鏤雕壽字歲寒三友紋飾

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