Lot Essay
The finger citron is also known as 'Buddha's hand' citron, fo shou, because of the long tendrils that look like fingers. Although the finger citron was inedible its strong fragrance made it useful for scenting rooms. It was also placed in offering bowls on Buddhist altars. Because the shape was sometimes seen as a grasping hand, it became a symbol of wealth.
See a pale celadon jade vase from the Victoria and Albert Museum, included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Oriental Ceramic Society, 1975, Catalogue no. 406; a white jade example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by Geoffrey Wills, Jade of the East, New York, 1972, fig. 65; and a large yellow jade vase from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Jadeware III, Hong Kong 1995, pl.52.
See a pale celadon jade vase from the Victoria and Albert Museum, included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Oriental Ceramic Society, 1975, Catalogue no. 406; a white jade example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by Geoffrey Wills, Jade of the East, New York, 1972, fig. 65; and a large yellow jade vase from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Jadeware III, Hong Kong 1995, pl.52.