18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A PALE GREENISH-WHITE AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF A TOAD
18TH/19TH CENTURY
The stone is naturalistically carved as a large, plump toad grasping the stem of a leaf in its mouth on which a centipede crawls. A long snake slithers across its back and under the leaf. A spider is perched on a leaf tucked under his right foreleg, where a small lizard slithers. Its back is covered in a regular pattern of raised bumps. The pale greenish-white and russet stone has some white inclusions.
4 13/16 in. (12.5 cm.) long

Provenance

The Property of Lady Beaumont; Sotheby's London, 12 November 1974, lot 61.
Lauretta O. Westrich (1910-2006), Chicago, Illinois.

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

The Five Poisons, the toad, lizard, centipede, snake and scorpion 1which can be interchangeable with a spider as seen with the present lot), are said to form an elixir that neutralizes evil. The five together are a talisman used to counteract evil on Duanwujie, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival.

More from Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art

View All