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Lot Essay
According to Buddhist legend, the makara was originally a whale that saved the lives of five hundred drowning merchants at sea, and then sacrificed itself by providing its own body for food to feed the victims. Because of its compassion and sacrifice, both important virtues in Buddhist philosophy, the whale was then immortalised and transformed into a makara, characterised by the head of a dragon, the body of a whale with wings and a pearl by its side.
The subject-matter is visually very similar to that of the carp reaching the upper courses of the Yellow River and leaping up the rapids at Dragon Gate where it transforms into a dragon. This feat is compared to success in the state examinations and the transformation from carp to dragon symbolising promotion to the position of official. This was a popular subject on carved jadeware for its drama and auspicious representations. A white jade twin carp vase which compares very closely to the present example is illustrated by S. Nott, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, London, 1936, pl. XCII.
It is interesting to note that in different carvings the makara are depicted in varying states of transformation. On the current example the makara is predominantly fish-like with only some of the facial features revealing its change in state. Compare another jade carving of a makara, from the Hartman Collection sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1551 in which the representation of the makara differs considerably, with a much more dragon-like appearance and in accordance with this, the young at its side is depicted as a dragon rather than a carp as in the present example. Another white and russet jade markara, also from the Hartman Collection was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1425.
A very similar spinach jade carving, this time of a pair of leaping makara is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Jadeware (III), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 61, no. 49.
The subject-matter is visually very similar to that of the carp reaching the upper courses of the Yellow River and leaping up the rapids at Dragon Gate where it transforms into a dragon. This feat is compared to success in the state examinations and the transformation from carp to dragon symbolising promotion to the position of official. This was a popular subject on carved jadeware for its drama and auspicious representations. A white jade twin carp vase which compares very closely to the present example is illustrated by S. Nott, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, London, 1936, pl. XCII.
It is interesting to note that in different carvings the makara are depicted in varying states of transformation. On the current example the makara is predominantly fish-like with only some of the facial features revealing its change in state. Compare another jade carving of a makara, from the Hartman Collection sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1551 in which the representation of the makara differs considerably, with a much more dragon-like appearance and in accordance with this, the young at its side is depicted as a dragon rather than a carp as in the present example. Another white and russet jade markara, also from the Hartman Collection was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1425.
A very similar spinach jade carving, this time of a pair of leaping makara is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Jadeware (III), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 61, no. 49.