Page 158 - Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Chinese Works of Art, Oct. 9, 2022
P. 158
3675
THE VICTOR SHAW COLLECTION OF CHINESE JADES 清十八世紀 白玉童子牧牛
A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE 'BOY AND
BUFFALO' GROUP,
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
12.2 cm
HK$ 500,000-700,000
US$ 64,000-89,500
The present lot is skilfully carved from a lustrous jade pebble 白玉閃青，此件雕童子牧牛極為生動，不論臥牛或是
of an even white tone. The auspicious scene depicting a 童子的胴體刻畫，還是對其毛髮、表情的細節表現都
small boy either riding or leading a water buffalo was one 恰如其分，足顯明清以來宮廷玉匠寫實玉雕的嫻熟工
of the favourite themes of the rural idyll depicted by the
Chinese painters during the Song dynasty. See a painting by 藝。童子牧牛題材最早流行於宋代田園生活題材畫作
Li Tang (1050-1130), Herd Boy with Water Buffalo and Calf, 中，台北故宮博物院收藏李唐童子水牛及乳牛圖手卷
in the Taipei Palace Museum, illustrated in Ann Elizabeth （作於十一或十二世紀），載於 Ann Elizabeth Barrott
Barrott Wicks, Children in Chinese Art, Honolulu, 2002, fig. Wicks 編，《Children in Chinese Art》，檀香山，2002
2.6.
年，圖2.6。
The reclining buffalo, a symbol of strength and tranquillity,
is also associated with spring and agriculture because of 宋代以後，童子牧牛主題成為遠離世俗煩囂、禮儀及
its role in pulling ploughs. According to James C.S. Lin in
The Immortal Stone, Cambridge, 2009, p. 51, from the 公務，追求簡樸生活之象徵。林政昇曾對童子牧牛
Ming dynasty buffaloes were often depicted at rest with its 之象徵意義做過討論，見《The Immortal Stone》，劍
head turned 90 degrees, as seen in the present carving, to 橋，2009年，頁51，作者認為自明代以來，見玉雕水
indicate that the world was at peace. When depicted with a 牛頭以九十度轉向一邊，象徵天下太平，而牛背上騎
young boy riding on its back, this motif represents obedience 一童子，則有潮氣勤懇、扭轉乾坤之意。
and serenity as well as spring and agriculture because of its
role in pulling ploughs. Even a small child can ride an animal
of this size and strength without fear. 參考北京故宮博物院清宮舊藏一件清代青玉童子騎
牛，尺寸稍小，著錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系．玉器
Compare with a similar carving of smaller size from the Qing
Court collection, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections 篇》，卷9：清，北京，2011年，圖版135。
in the Palace Museum: Jade, vol. 9: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, pl.
135.
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