Page 122 - Bonhams Hong King May 30 2017 THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES

The present jade carving of a foreigner and an elephant is an 玉質灰色，局部受沁呈黑斑。圓雕一騎象元人，圓眼微突出，炯炯有
extraordinarily rare example of the Yuan dynasty executed with superb 神，鬚髯滿面，耳穿大環，頭戴蒙古羽帽，手執驅象器騎於象背。大
intricacy and delicacy. The compelling sculptural quality is emphasised 象身軀雄壯，四肢粗壯有力，象尾帖服下垂，象背披錦地紋座墊。象
by the combination of the vivid facial features of the figure, the bold 鼻捲於一側，前腳提起，擬作起步，雕刻精細，線條流暢。整體造型
modelling of the elephant with sensitive attention to details including its 栩栩如生，極富動感，人物及大象無不神態入微，別具匠心，為元代
prominent toenails and the dynamic posture rendered by the front lifted 玉器一代表作。
foot as if ready to walk. The present lot demonstrates the significant
development in jade craftsmanship accomplished in the Yuan dynasty, 此玉雕既承襲前朝所製的造型，又在雕刻技法上有所創新，極富層次
compared to earlier periods, as exemplified in a simpler modelling 感和立體感，展示了元代在工藝製作上的高深造詣，有很高的藝術觀
of a jade carving of a similar subject matter, showing a foreigner on 賞價值。對比北京故宮博物院藏一件唐代白玉騎象人，題材相仿，但
a recumbent elephant, Tang dynasty, illustrated in Compendium of 雕刻相對較為簡單，見《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器編5：唐宋遼金
Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 5 Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and 元》，北京，2011年，圖版15。
Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pl.15.
北京故宮博物院藏一件元代牧馬人玉鎮可資比較，牧馬人面部刻劃和
The facial features and clothing style of the figure in the present lot 穿著與此元人騎象玉雕相類，反映出元代人物造型風格，見古方編，
are characteristic of the Yuan period. See a jade group of a foreigner 《中國古玉器圖典》，北京，2007年，頁342。另見一件元/明代騎
and horse, Yuan dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated 象玉人，其面部特徵亦值得參考，拍賣於紐約佳士得，1996年9月19
by Gufang, The Pictorial Handbook of Ancient Chinese Jades, Beijing, 日，拍品編號112。
2007, p.342.

A related jade group of a foreigner and elephant, Yuan/Ming dynasty,
was sold at Christie’s New York, 19 September 1996, lot 112;
however, whilst the facial features of the figure are stylistically similar to
the present lot, the elephant is depicted in a recumbent position.

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