Page 175 - Roger Kaverne Moving On part 2 Bonhams UK June 7, 2021

729 (two views)

The seven-stringed zither or qin was an instrument which every scholar
in Imperial China was expected to play. The board game of weiqi was
considered equally a pastime and an art form. Chinese calligraphy
equally comprises a minimalist set of rules which facilitate a system
of complexity and grandeur. Calligraphy was highly regarded as an
expression of the practitioner’s poetic nature and a significant test
of manual dexterity. Finally, every scholar was expected to learn the
art of brush painting, which was regarded as the greatest expression
of individual creativity, through which a Chinese scholar would
demonstrate his mastery over the art of line.Compare with a related
white jade ‘Four Scholarly Accomplishments’ paperweight, 18th
century, of slightly larger size, but without the qian trigram, which was
sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 October 2010, lot 2196; and another
pale green jade carving, 18th century, worked with a similar motif,
which was sold at Christie’s London, 8 November 2011, lot 172.

730
A WHITE JADE CARVING OF A MONKEY
18th century
Smoothly carved as a mischievous monkey with a peach in his right
hand, the left hand held to its ear, the small round eyes gazing into the
distance beneath wrinkled brows, the legs tucked in front, the stone of
even whitish-green tone. 4.5cm (1 3/4in) high.
£1,200 - 1,500
CNY11,000 - 14,000
Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價

十八世紀 白玉雕靈猴獻壽

Compare with a similar jade carving of a monkey and young, Qianlong,
illustrated by S.Howard Hansford, Jade: Essence of hills and streams,
The Von Oertzen Collection of Chinese and Indian Jades, London,
1969, D80; see also the monkey, 18th century, illustrated in The
Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, London, 2013, no.108. A related
jade carving of a monkey and young, 18th/19th century, was sold at
Sotheby’s New York, 19 March 2019, lot 253. 730

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue. ROGER KEVERNE LTD: MOVING ON (II) | 173