AN EXCEPTIONAL WHITE JADE 'POMEGRANATE' GROUP QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

modelled in the round as a pair of pomegranate fruits, the larger one with a hollowed aperture below the five-leafed calyx revealing a cluster of ripe seeds, all borne on a gnarled branch issuing twisting and curling leaves, the stone of a celadon-tinged white colour with natural inclusions and russet patches

A private European collection, purchased before 1966.

It is in overall good condition.
"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."

Skilfully worked from a jade pebble of remarkable white colour, this jade group has been finely modelled in the round with delicately carved details and finished to a lustrous sheen. The naturalistic rendering of this piece, as evident in the gnarled trunk and the fruits’ exposed seeds, enhanced by the incorporation of the stone’s natural russet inclusions, reveal the carver’s sensitivity towards the carved subject and his respect for the stone itself.

A white jade carving of two pomegranates, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 9: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 162; and a slightly larger one carved also with two boys, from the collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, is illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 224, together with a white jade pomegranate-shaped box, pl. 86, and a waterpot, pl. 109. 

Fruits and flowers filled with auspicious messages were a major source of inspiration to 18th century carvers, and the pomegranate was especially favoured as it stood for abundance and fertility. Depictions of pomegranate with skin torn back to reveal the numerous seeds, evoke the saying shi liu kai xiao kou (‘The pomegranate opens and produces hundred sons’).