Page 141 - Bonhams May 16, 2019 London Asian Art

149
A RARE YELLOW AND RUSSET JADE
CARVING OF A BIRD
Song Dynasty
Well carved from a stone of yellow and russet tone,
the mythical bird with pointed beak and incised
feathers to the wings and tail, its head gently
swayed to its right with legs tucked underneath
the body. 5cm (2in) long.

£16,000 - 20,000
CNY140,000 - 180,000

宋 黃玉帶皮瑞鳥把件

This type of bird carving exhibits an archaic-revival
style and was likely inspired by jade carvings of the
Han dynasty; for an example in the National Palace
Museum, see Art in Quest of Heaven and Truth:
Chinese Jades through the Ages, 2012, Taipei,
no.3-3-6. For a Song dynasty example, compare
the execution of the deftly-carved wings on a pale
green jade bird, formerly in the Robert H. Ellsworth
Collection, illustrated by J.C.Y.Watt, Chinese Jades
from Han to Ch’ing, New York, 1980, p.94, pl.78;
see also a related example of a yellow jade bird with
brown markings, from the collection of Mr and Mrs
B.H.Tisdall, illustrated in Ibid., p.96, pl.81.

A similar yellow and russet jade carving of an eagle,
Song dynasty, is illustrated by T.Fok, The Splendour
of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong
Kong, 2011, p.88, no.79 and was later sold at
Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 May 2017, lot 58. 149

150
A PALE GREEN JADE CARVING OF AN EGRET
AND LOTUS
17th century
Crisply carved as a recumbent egret, its head turned
sharply to the side and grasping a lotus blossom in
its long curving beak, with finely detailed wings on
the sides, resting on a large lotus leaf, the stone of
even pale green-white tone.
6.3cm (2 1/2in) long. (2).
£9,000 - 12,000
CNY79,000 - 110,000
十七世紀 青白玉雕一路連科擺件

The egret (lu 鷺) and lotus (hehua 荷花) form the
rebus for ‘prosperity throughout one’s life’ (yilu
ronghua 一路榮華). A related jade carving of a crane
and peaches, is illustrated in In Pursuit of Antiquities:
40th Anniversary Exhibition of the Min Chiu Society,
Hong Kong, 2001, p.208, no.101.

150

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue. FINE CHINESE ART | 139