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Lot Essay
The decoration of this box is particularly auspicious. The five bats encircling the shou character on the top of the cover symbolise the Five Happiness: Wealth, Longevity, Health, Virtue and Natural Death. The sides of both the cover and the box finely carved with the Eight Auspicious Emblems.
Such large and exquisitely carved white jade boxes are very rare. A less elaborated example but similarly decorated with bats and shou character on the top is illustrated in Jade as Sculpture, Minnesota Museum of Art, Rare Art Inc., Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1975, pl.45. See also another white jade box finely carved with shou characters and Auspicious Symbols on the sides, the top of the cover enhanced with floral patterns, illustrated in 'A Romance with Jade - From the De An Tang Collection', Catalogue, Beijing Palace Museum, November-December 2004, p.171, pl.108.
Such large and exquisitely carved white jade boxes are very rare. A less elaborated example but similarly decorated with bats and shou character on the top is illustrated in Jade as Sculpture, Minnesota Museum of Art, Rare Art Inc., Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1975, pl.45. See also another white jade box finely carved with shou characters and Auspicious Symbols on the sides, the top of the cover enhanced with floral patterns, illustrated in 'A Romance with Jade - From the De An Tang Collection', Catalogue, Beijing Palace Museum, November-December 2004, p.171, pl.108.