A CELADON AND RUSSET 'MANDARIN DUCK RESTING IN LOTUS' JADE PEBBLE, MING DYNASTY

A celadon nephrite pebble with suffused with hues of russet and some dark brown mottling, both highlighting the overall design. Nice patina and good surface finish

China, Ming dynasty, 16th – 17th century

Published: The Property of Mr Philip Cardeiro, Carol Michaelson, Knapton Rasti Asian Art, London 2009, lot 45.

An exquisite natural pebble carving that fully retains its original shape! Finely carved in the round to depict a recumbent mandarin duck resting in a large upturned lotus leaf, a lotus flower depicted in high relief to cover the duck’s tail feathers, the crest and wings neatly incised to detail plumage, a large spray of lotus foliage grasped in the bird’s beak.
The subject matter of the duck resting in a large lotus leaf is not only extraordinary and rare, it also lends itself perfectly to the contours of the pebble, with the plant forming the base and the bird clinging to the surface, while the natural colors of the mineral reflect the plumage and the veins of the subjects. The craftsman has skillfully utilized the stone to provide a sense of naturalistic interaction between the lotus plant and the Mandarin duck.
Mandarin ducks (Latin: Aix galericulata), known as Yuan Yang in Chinese, mate for life and are renowned for their attachment to each other. In Chinese art mandarin ducks have been prolifically adopted to symbolize conjugal bliss and fidelity.

Shape: Pebble
Dimensions: Length 11,8 cm
Weight: 642,5 grams
Condition: Excellent condition with old wear and microscopic old nibbling, as expected on a Ming jade
Provenance: The Philip Cardeiro collection of Chinese jade, built from 1968 until the early 1990s, one label to bottom

Literature comparison: Compare with Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 61, and Jade as Sculpture, Minneapolis, Minneapolis and Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1975, no. 8.

Auction results comparison: Important Chinese Jades from the Personal Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman Part II. Christies, Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1566. (for a pair of Mandarin ducks from the same period and of similar size)

明代青玉帶皮雕”鴛鴦戲蓮”擺件
和田青玉，帶均勻褐色與些許深棕色沁，強化整體設計。完善包漿與良好磨光表面。
中國，明朝，16-17世紀
出版物：編號45，Philip Cardeiro先生珍藏品集，Carol Michaelson著，Knapton Rasti亞洲藝術品公司出版，倫敦，2009年。
隨形而雕的設計保留了玉石最原始的模樣。精心的刻畫出一隻鴛鴦臥坐在蓮葉上，後方細膩雕刻的蓮花巧妙的覆蓋住鴛鴦的尾部，翅膀及身體上的羽翼完整呈現，喙中啣著一片荷葉。
玉雕“鴛鴦戲荷”不僅罕見，更難能可貴的是此作品採隨形而雕，保留原始風貌，褐色沁紋理巧妙裝飾鴛鴦的羽翼，兩者輪廓融為一體。整件作品一氣呵成，雕作與玉石既分離又融合，整體毫無違和，可見工法之細膩、功力之深厚。
鴛鴦，在中國文化中象徵恩愛夫妻和忠貞不渝的永恆愛情。
形狀：山子
尺寸：長11.8厘米
重量：642.5克
品相極好，有些許與年代相符的磨損
美國知名收藏家C.PHILIP CARDEIRO先生珍藏品，於1968年至1990年代大量收藏中國藝術品。
文獻比較：可參考Robert Kleiner著《Alan與Simone Hartman收藏之中國玉器集》，香港，1996年，編號61。另外可參考明尼阿波利斯與印第安納波利斯藝術博物館出版的《玉石雕塑》，明尼亞波利斯，1974年，編號8。
類似拍品：佳士得《Alan與Simone Hartman私人典藏之中國玉器(二)》，香港，2007年11月27日，拍品編號1566。(同時期，相同大小的一對鴛鴦)