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his exceptionally rare carving of a mythical toad depicts its subject in a unusual submissive
posture; kneeling on its hind legs with its forelimbs clasped at the chest, representing a
Tclear departure from the more frequent jade carvings of naturalistic animals or mythical
beasts in striding, recumbent or seated postures known from the period.
Only one other jade carving of this type is known, in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, which
was illustrated alongside the present lot in Alfred Salmony, Chinese Jade Through the Wei Dynasty, New
York, 1963, pl. XLI-1, fig. 1, and was subsequently included in the exhibitions Chinese Jade Throughout
the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 193, and Chinese Jades from Han to Ch’ing,
Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 14.
Whilst the identification and significance of this mythical toad may remain a mystery, stylistically it
relates to pottery vessels, bronze and stone sculptures produced in China during the Six Dynasties
period.
本品造型極其珍罕，蟾蜍作跪姿，後腿蹲跪，雙手交 Jade Throughout the Ages》，維多利亞阿爾伯特
扣胸前。同期玉雕動物或靈獸多作立、行、臥、坐之 博物館，倫敦，1975年，編號193，以及《Chinese
姿，而本品明顯與其不同，更為珍至。 Jades from Han to Ch’ing》，Asia House
Gallery，紐約，1980年，編號14。
此玉雕僅有一例可比，現藏於芝加哥菲爾德自然
歷史博物館，與本品同載於 Alfred Salmony， 關於本品確實出處及含義，現暫時未有定論。以造型
《Chinese Jade Through the Wei Dynasty》，紐 風格而言，則與六朝陶器、銅器及石雕等相關。
約，1963年，圖版XLI-1，圖1，後展於《Chinese
Above The present lot illustrated in Alfred Salmony, Chinese Jade Through the Wei Dynasty, New York, 1963, pl. XLI, figs 2a-c.
上 本品圖示於Alfred Salmony,《Chinese Jade Through the Wei Dynasty》，紐約，1963年，圖版XLI，圖2a-c
19 MARCH 2019 SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK 43
