Page 75 - Sothebys Speelman Gems of Chinese Art

Carnelian agate of this brilliant gem-like quality, naturally
endowed with the richest coral-red colour, would have been
a highly prized resource in the 18th century, reserved for
Imperial works of art of the highest quality. This mythical
beast is outstanding for the high quality of its carving, skilfully
modelled in the round to capture its powerful movement,
muscular body, lean yet powerful torso and legs, and poised
ferocious expression. It could have been created as a
paperweight, or simply as a ‘plaything’, a prestigious object of
pleasure for a high ranking patron.
A carnelian-agate figure of a deer of slightly smaller size in the
Palace Museum, Beijing is illustrated online, http://en.dpm.
org.cn/collections/collections/2017-10-25/5493.html, where
it is identified as a paperweight. For other Imperial works of art
carved from carnelian-agate of this rich ruby-red quality, see a
‘lingzhi’ brushrest from the Qing court collection, illustrated in
The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum.
Small Refined Articles of the Study, Shanghai, 2009, p. 122,
pl. 91. See also a double vase originally in the collection of
George de Menasce, included in the exhibition Chinese Jade
Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London,
1975, cat. no. 491, and sold in these rooms, 7th October 2015,
lot 3746.

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