A WHITE JADE SHAPED PENDANT PLAQUE

18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A WHITE JADE SHAPED PENDANT PLAQUE
18TH/19TH CENTURY
One side is carved in low relief with a scholar seated in a garden beside a pavilion, and on the reverse with a fourteen-character inscription, ni qie qian shen qu kan bian/ta jin bei li hu shan xia (You [Zhang Sheng] are hiding amidst the sinuous balustrades; She [Cui Yingqing] is standing with her back against a garden wall), followed by two seals, wen wan (play thing), all below confronted archaistic dragons above. The semi-translucent stone is of even tone.
2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm.) high

Provenance

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

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Lot Essay

The inscription is a passage from The Romance of the Western Chamber, written by Wang Shifu in the Yuan dynasty. Set in the Tang dynasty, the story tells of the romance between Zhang Junrui and Cui Yingying. While on his way to take the civil service examination, Zhang was instrumental in rescuing Cui Yingying from a group of bandits. Cui's hand in marriage had been offered by her mother to whomever could save her, but she subsequently reneged on her promise. This inscription describes the two lovers before their first secret meeting.

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