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Lot Essay
The ingenious contrast in working the tonal differences of the natural stone into an overall design was a lapidary skill that was particularly well executed by Qing dynasty master craftsmen.
The pine, prunus and bamboo, 'the three friends of winter' symbolize longevity. This theme is a common theme in chinese art and often used on various materials as porcelain, jade, bamboo carving,...
The fungus, also called lingzhi, "herb of Immortality", is said to grow in such places as the Taoist "Isles of the Blest". It symbolizes the power to grant wishes in Chinese folklore. That is why it is often represented in Ming and Qing jade or agate carvings.
Compare with two examples both from the Palace Museum, Beijing, dated to the mid Qing period, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, 1991, vol. 6, p.89, no. 137, for a group of peach, finger citrus and lingzhi hollowed as a vase; and a peach and lingzhi on rockwork vase, p. 92, no. 142.
The pine, prunus and bamboo, 'the three friends of winter' symbolize longevity. This theme is a common theme in chinese art and often used on various materials as porcelain, jade, bamboo carving,...
The fungus, also called lingzhi, "herb of Immortality", is said to grow in such places as the Taoist "Isles of the Blest". It symbolizes the power to grant wishes in Chinese folklore. That is why it is often represented in Ming and Qing jade or agate carvings.
Compare with two examples both from the Palace Museum, Beijing, dated to the mid Qing period, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, 1991, vol. 6, p.89, no. 137, for a group of peach, finger citrus and lingzhi hollowed as a vase; and a peach and lingzhi on rockwork vase, p. 92, no. 142.