A WHITE JADE 'ELEPHANT AND BOY' CARVING QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

deftly carved as a standing elephant with long tusks touching at the front tips, its massive body well defined with wrinkled skin, the bushy tail slightly curved to the left, wearing a tasseled blanket decorated with a floral pattern, rocks and cresting waves, set with a chubby boy clambering up the elephant's shoulder, holding a ruyi sceptre in his right hand, the white stone of a pale celadon tone highlighted with russet and natural inclusions

Collection of Mr. Dumas, the senior partner at Willis, Faber, and Dumas.
S. Marchant & Son Ltd., London.

Post-Archaic Chinese Jades from Private Collections, S. Marchant and Son Ltd., London, 2000, cat. no. 87.

The overall condition is very good. The stone has natural veins and flaws and has been stained russet on the surface. The actual colour is slightly more yellowish green than in the catalogue illustration.
"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."

The charm of the subject and three-dimensionality of the present creature is accentuated by the natural russet-coloured inclusions of the skin of the stone. This skilful incorporation of the coloured skin of the jade pebble not only serves an aesthetic purpose but also highlights the carver's ability to minimise wastage of the precious stone. The solidity of the elephant modelled in the round embodies the strength, power and wisdom it symbolises and compliments the fine detail of its facial features and saddle cloth as well as the playfulness of the clambering boy.

See a similarly carved figure of an elephant surmounted by a boy holding a ruyi sceptre, from the Richard J. Robertson collection, sold at Christie's New York, 28^th March 1996, lot 1; and another, but with the boy holding a crop, sold in our New York rooms, 18^th September 1996, lot 3. Compare also a carving of two boys climbing and washing an elephant in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware III, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 98; another, also incorporating the natural russet colourings, in the De An Tang collection, included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade. From the De An Tang Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 89; and a third example sold at Christie's New York, 23^rd March 1995, lot 207.

The elephant is associated with the mythical Emperor Shun, one of the twenty-four paragons of filial piety, and is also the mount for the Buddhist deity Samantabhadra. A boy climbing or riding an elephant symbolises the wish for good fortune.