A PALE GREENISH-WHITE JADE SHAPED RECTANGULAR PENDANT PLAQUE

18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A PALE GREENISH-WHITE JADE SHAPED RECTANGULAR PENDANT PLAQUE
18TH/19TH CENTURY
One side is carved with a scene of a scholar riding a donkey, his attendant carrying a flowering prunus branch following behind as they cross a bridge, and the reverse is carved with a lengthy inscription, ji du zhang li tan kan zao/xian sheng yuan shi xi hua ren (Several times you walked with your cane to catch the sight of the first blossom; you are truly one who cherishes them), all below confronted archaistic dragons above.
2 5/16 in. (5.8 cm.) long

Provenance

Lizzadro Collection, Chicago, Illinois, acquired prior to 1960.

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Lot Essay

The scene may depict the poet Lu Kai, who lived in the Song State during the Southern Dynasties period (420-479). While in Jiangnan, he is traditionally believed to have sent a spray of prunus hundreds of miles to the historian Fan Ye in Chang'an. This gesture has become a symbol of sincere friendship.

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