Page 29 - 2021 March 15th Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art, Bonhams NYC New York

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A RETICULATED WHITE JADE ‘DRAGON’ BELT PLAQUE A WHITE JADE CAT GROUP
Qing Dynasty Qing Dynasty, 18th Century
Carved with a two-clawed dragon entwined among delicate vines, The stone an even white tone, carved as an intertwined adult and
leaves and magnolia blossoms, the stone of an even white hue. juvenile cat, their resting heads nestled against one another.
3in (7.6cm) wide 2 1/4in (5.9cm) long
$2,000 - 3,000 $2,000 - 3,000

清 白玉鏤雕龍紋腰牌 十八世紀 白玉子母貓把件

For other examples of 15-16 century precursors, see Gugong For a similar white jade ‘cats’ group, see Sotheby’s, London,
th
Bowuyuan Cang Wenwu Zhenpin Quanji (Complete Collection of ‘Menagerie, An English Private Collection of Chinese Animal Carvings’,
Treasures of the Palace Museum) Jadeware III, Hong Kong, 1995, 10 May 2017, lot 44. For another small jade group of a cat and a kitten
p. 13, no. 9. of greenish-white tone, see Christie’s, New York, 17 March 2017, lot
1083, where it is compared to a white jade carving of two cats and a
For 15th/16th century precursors see Jessica Rawson, Chinese dragonfly formerly in the T.T. Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, and sold
Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum, London, 1995, at Christie’s, New York, 15 September 2011, lot 1427.
p. 327, fig 8; and Sotheby’s, London, ‘Menagerie, An English Private
Collection of Chinese Animal Carvings’, 10 May 2017, lot 52 See also Bonhams, London, Knightsbridge, 2 November 2020,
lot 145, for another with two cats and a butterfly.

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