Page 55 - Christie's, NYC Important Chinese Works Of Art Sept. 22-23, 2022

(another view)

CHINESE JADES FROM THE COLLECTION OF T. EUGENE WORRELL
~744
A LARGE PALE GREENISH-WHITE JADE `ELEPHANT AND BOY’ The elephant is an auspicious symbol which is used in numerous rebuses to
GROUP convey peace, prosperity and good fortune. The present carving represents
QING DYNASTY (1644-1911) a popular elephant rebus: boys riding and washing an elephant (jixiang),
The group is boldly carved with two boys, one of whom holds a broom, representing good fortune.
clambering on top of an elephant, while a third bearded figure holding a ruyi With its auspicious theme, images of boys washing an elephant found
scepter stands at the rear of the elephant. The elephant stands foursquare favor in the Qing court, and were depicted by court painters such as Ding
with the trunk curved to one side and is deeply incised with wavy lines in Guanpeng (fl. c. 1738-1768): see a hanging scroll in ink and color, depicting
imitation of the wrinkly hide. The stone is of a greenish-white tone with areas attendants washing an elephant, dated 1750 and with the artist’s signature,
of white mottling. two seals of the artist and one seal of the Emperor Qianlong, now in the
9√ in. (25.2 cm.) long, hardwood stand Palace Museum, Beijing, no. GU4794.
The depiction of boys washing an elephant was also a particularly popular
$20,000-30,000 subject matter for jade carvings, giving a lively context to a sophisticated play
on words. A related carving of two boys washing an elephant, also of white
PROVENANCE: jade and of a similarly large size (20.4 cm. high) as the present example, in
Jade House, Hong Kong, March 1988. the Qing Court Collection, is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing,
EXHIBITED: and is illustrated in Jadeware (III). The Complete Collection of Treasures of the
Charlottesville, Worrell Family Offices Gallery, 1994-2022. Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, p.117, pl. 98. The Beijing carving was also
included in an exhibition at the Royal Academy in London, and illustrated
in China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p. 377, no. 300.
T. EUGENE WORRELL珍藏中國玉器 Another example of a white jade carving of figures with an elephant, also
in the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated ibid., pl. 97. This carving shows a
清 青白玉童子洗象擺件 boy with a ruyi scepter clambering on the back of the elephant, while a man
來源: wearing a hat stands at the proper left hind leg.
Jade House, 香港, 1988年3月
The elephant is also associated with Buddhism, and the Buddhist deity
展覽: Samantabhadra is shown riding an elephant. The white elephant in particular
夏洛茨維爾, Worrell家族藝廊, 1994-2022年 recalls the birth legend of the historical Buddha, Siddartha Gautama: his
mother Queen Maya did not have children for twenty years, but one night
the queen had a vivid dream in which a white elephant appeared to her, and
she later gave birth to Siddartha Gautama. In the present carving, the use
of such high-quality white stone to depict an elephant may be a specific
reference to this Buddhist legend. The Qianlong Emperor was a strong
supporter of Buddhism, and his mother the Dowager Empress Chongqing
was a particularly devout Buddhist.

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