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PROPERTY OF VARIOUS OWNERS
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A CELADON JADE ‘ELEPHANT AND BOYS’ GROUP The elephant was a popular subject for jade carvers during the Ming
Late Qing dynasty and Qing dynasties. Apart from being a symbol of wisdom and
Carved as a plump elephant standing foursquare with its head turned strength, the Chinese word for elephant, xiang, is a homophone for
to the left, two boys crouching on a large lotus leaf on its back, one the word ‘auspicious.’ In the current example, additional auspicious
boy emptying a jug of water over the elephant’s side, the jug inscribed elements appear, such as the vase, whose Chinese name, ping is
with the character fu, the water cascading in streams as the other boy a homophone for the word ‘peace’, and the action of washing the
scrubs the elephant with a brush, the smoothly finished gray-green elephant, xi sounds the same as the word ‘happiness.’ Together these
stone with cloudy-white and speckled brown inclusions. elements form the rebus taiping xixiang (When there is peace signs of
4 5/8in (12cm) long happiness appear).
US$10,000 - 12,000 A jade carving of two boys washing an elephant is illustrated in Views
of Antiquity in the Qing Imperial Palace, Museu de Arte de Macau,
Macau, 2005, cat. no. 109.
清 青玉雕太平喜象擺件
FINE CHINESE PAINTINGS AND WORKS OF ART | 87
