Page 58 - Chiense jades Hong Kong Sothebys April 2017

Skilfully carved in the round with the neck curved the carving. Small jade carvings of this type Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection,
gracefully towards its back to maximise the were often found on scholars’ desks, where they San Francisco, pl. xxxii; another in the Victoria
overall shape of the stone, the posture of this served both as paperweights and as works of art and Albert Museum, London, included in the
camel, with its legs folded beneath the body and in their own right. The importance of camels was Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade
exaggerated turn of the head, is often found in likely associated with wealth and status due to its Throughout the Ages, London, 1975, cat. no.
Song animal sculptures. This style appears to links with Central Asia, a source of luxuries and 201; another, from the Sze Tak Tang Collection,
derive from Tang coiled animals which were in exoticism. exhibited in Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong
turn inspired by the severely coiled feline of the Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 128;
Han period. Furthermore, the underside of this It is uncommon to find jade carvings of camels in and a fourth carving sold at Christie’s New York,
figure reveals the particular care and attention this pose, although a small yellow jade example, 1st December 1988, lot 73.
taken to depict the legs and hooves of the animal, also attributed to the Song dynasty but with
another tradition that began in the Han period. the head turned looking to the left, was sold at
However, the developments in capturing the life Christie’s New York, 4th June 1987, lot 62, and
and nature of animals during the Song period again in our New York rooms, 24th March 1998,
is visible in the carver’s ability to maximise lot 337. Related examples attributed to the Tang
the natural inclusions and colour of the stone, dynasty include one from the Avery Brundage
particularly on the face and tail, thus animating Collection and now in the Asian Art Museum of
San Francisco, illustrated in Yvonne d’Argence,