A grey jade carving of a buffalo Ming dynasty | 明 灰玉圓雕臥牛

Christie's London, 9th November 2007, lot 262.

倫敦佳士得2007年11月9日，編號262

Exceptionally worked to conform to the natural contours of the jade pebble, this carving of a buffalo is a remarkable – and arguably unparalleled – example of the craftsmen’s sensibilities and ability to plan and execute down to the finest detail.

The buffalo is a favoured Confucian motif of diligence and humility but the naturalistic depiction on the current piece is especially notable, as evident in even the most subtle turn at the tip of its tail to accentuate liveliness. The choice of the mottled grey stone, while seemingly arbitrary and unusual, is also likely a deliberate one so as to mirror the actual colour of the animal’s skin. Endued with the spirit of nature, this carving would have served as a paperweight in scholars’ studios or even purely as an aesthetic enjoyment, enabling a wealthy patron to transport his mind away from the cares of the city to the tranquillity of nature.

While bearing the original shape of the pebble, the jade buffalo is veiled with a lustrous patina that only points to its being fondled as a plaything in one’s palm over time. Compare a slightly smaller Ming dynasty greyish-white jade paperweight, also worked to preserve its original pebble form but depicting a cat and butterfly, illustrated in Gerald Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 70.

灰玉雕牛圓潤立體，以卵玉本體為礎，雕工細緻精妙，展現臥牛生動姿態，靈動有神。

儒家尚牛，取其勤奮、謙遜特質。本品風格自然寫實，揚首微側，牛尾輕拍身腹，生動迷人，玉料灰白紋理，細膩相間，倣似牛毛，妙趣盎然。此類玉雕常做為文人案頭賞翫雅物，亦做為鎮紙之用，洋溢自然意趣，引人入勝。

本品表面溫潤柔膩，應為多年把玩摩娑而致。比較一件明代灰白玉貓蝶紋鎮紙，尺寸略小，充分保留其卵石原型，刊於曾柱昭及莫士撝，《文玩萃珍》，馮平山博物館，香港大學，1986年，編號70。