A WHITE JADE 'SUN CE' PLAQUE, SUZHOU, BY ZHITING QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of rectangular form, the frame crested with two confronting kui dragons, their body writhing in angular scrolls with their tail extending down to form the border, one side carved in shallow relief with Sun Ce, the Chinese military hero clad in an elaborate armour clutching a long-shafted axe, the other side undercut with an inscription followed by two raised seals Zhi and ting, the translucent stone of an even white tone with a smooth polish

The overall condition is very good, with only some light surface scratches. The actual colour is slightly greyer and greener than 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."

This finely carved plaque bears the seal of Zhiting, a well known carver who worked in Suzhou and was active in the early Qing period. His seal can be found on a number of plaques and snuff bottles; for example, see a signed jade snuff bottle carved with the deer and pine motif, in the Bloch collection, illustrated in A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection, vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 304, pl. 122, where the authors mention four other known bottles signed by Zhiting. Another bottle bearing Zhiting's signature is included in Pamela Friedman, Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Pamela R. Lessing Friedman Collection, Hong Kong, 1990, no. 78. Further small jade carvings by Zhiting are two white jade plaques published in James C.Y. Watt,  Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, Washington D.C., 1980, pls. 216 and 217, the former decorated in low relief with two boys seated on a banana leaf, and the latter of elongated form carved in high relief with two dragons.

A number of plaques carved with the figure of Sun Ce, a famous general of the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-265), are known; for example see a plaque included ibid., pls. 211, together with another plaque depicting the figure of another Chinese military hero of the Three Kingdoms period, Zhao Zilong, pl. 212. Compare also a plaque sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27th May 2009, lot 1943, from the collection of Stephen Junkunc III; and one inscribed in a horizontal line on the bottom edge with the characters Zi Gang, depicting a warrior, sold in these rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1592.

The poem and illustration for this plaque are taken from a book titled Wushuang Pu, a collection of images of famous historical characters accompanied by laudatory poems. This book, first published in the Kangxi period, is based on the work of the writer Jin Guliang, reputedly a pupil of the painter and woodblock artist Chen Hongshou (1598-1652), whose work contains a library of decorative designs. 17th century artists began to use it as a pattern book for the various kinds of works, including jade carving.