18TH CENTURY

细节

A FINELY CARVED PALE GREENISH-WHITE JADE DRAGON-CARP VASE
18TH CENTURY
The vase is well carved as two dragon-carp (yulong) rising from a base of cresting waves. Each winged mythical creature has a horn, spiky dorsal fin, ears and long whiskers that flank the open mouth. The pale greenish-white stone is semi-translucent and softly polished.
9¾ in. (24.8 cm.) high

来源

Gurie Gallery, Montreal, Canada, 1962.

登入

浏览状况报告

拍品专文

A vase of this type carved from green jade, of smaller size (7¼ in.), also dated to the 18th century, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, is illustrated by d'Argencé, Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1977, pp. 154-55, pl. LXX. In the entry the author notes that there is a legend that Yellow River carp making their way upstream and passing above the rapids at Longmen (Dragon Gate) in Henan province are transformed into dragons. Accordingly, the motif implies a wish for success in passing the civil service examinations. See, also, the white jade vase of this type, but smaller size (17.1 cm.), dated Qianlong period, illustrated by S. C. Nott, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, London, 1937, pl. XCII.