- 79
A RARE PALE CELADON AND RUSSET JADE ‘TWINS AND LOTUS’ PENDANT SONG – MING DYNASTY
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 HKD
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Description
- Jade
carved in the form of a boy and a girl each holding a long stem in one hand, the other petting a bird grasping a lotus spray between its beak, pierced through from the top with a small aperture for suspension
Condition
The pendant is in overall good condition. There are a few expected minute nicks to the edges and fragile extremities.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
A related carving, in the collection of Thomas Wei Seu King, was included in the exhibition Exquisite Jade Carving: Figures, Animals, Ornaments, University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 9, together with one modelled in the form of two boys playing with a ball, in the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat collection, pl. 15; and another is published in Naturalism & Archaism. Chinese Jades from the Kirknorton Collection, Carter Fine Art Limited, London, 1995, cat. no. 32.
This motif is steeped in auspicious symbolism, with the boy (zi) and lotus (lian) creating the rebus lian sheng gui zi, which expresses the wish of giving birth to prestigious sons constantly. In the catalogue to the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, James C.Y. Watt notes that during the Qixi festival, which occurred on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, 'the streets of the city, especially in the capitals would be filled with playing children dressed in waistcoats and holding a lotus leaf or plant. They were as the records tell us, imitating the mo-hou-lo, the cult object of the festival', p. 110.
This motif is steeped in auspicious symbolism, with the boy (zi) and lotus (lian) creating the rebus lian sheng gui zi, which expresses the wish of giving birth to prestigious sons constantly. In the catalogue to the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, James C.Y. Watt notes that during the Qixi festival, which occurred on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, 'the streets of the city, especially in the capitals would be filled with playing children dressed in waistcoats and holding a lotus leaf or plant. They were as the records tell us, imitating the mo-hou-lo, the cult object of the festival', p. 110.