China, Eastern Zhou dynasty, 8th-3rd century BC. Of cylindrical form, the larger incised with rows of confronted C-scrolls framed by hatched bands, of pale celadon tone with inclusions of dark green and brown as well as areas of calcification; the smaller carved with interlocking T-scrolls, the stone of a brown hue with calcification.

Provenance: Collection of Lee Kong Chian, Singapore, thence by descent to his nephew Oey Ek His. Collection of Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above in the 1990s (by family repute). Lee Kong Chian (1893-1967) was a prominent Chinese Singaporean businessman and philanthropist based in Malaya and Singapore between the 1930s and the 1960s. He was the founder of the Lee Foundation and one of the richest men in Southeast Asia in the 1950s and 1960s. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, signs of weathering and erosion, small nicks, tiny losses. One with few natural fissures.

Weight: 35.9 g, 34.3 g
Dimensions: 6.7 cm, 5.6 cm

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2015, lot 578
Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 30,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A white and pale brown jade bead, China, Eastern Zhou dynasty, 6th-5th century BC
Expert remark: Compare the related form and manner of carving. Note the size (6.7 cm) and that this lot comprises a single bead.