† A CELADON JADE FIGURE OF A MYTHICAL TIGER, SHANG DYNASTY

拍品描述

† A CELADON JADE FIGURE OF A MYTHICAL TIGER, SHANG DYNASTY Expert authentication: Dr. Gu Fang has examined the present lot and confirms its authenticity and the dating above, noting the style of cutting, workmanship, thickness and quality of stone with decomposed areas indicating burial all suggest a dating to 1600-1100 BCE. He assessed it as a piece of notably good quality. A copy of Dr. Gu's signed expertise, dated 13 February 2006, accompanies this lot. Dr. Gu Fang (born 1962) is an internationally renowned scholar of Chinese art and a leading authority on jades. He graduated from the Department of Archaeology at the prestigious Beijing University in 1986 and later studied at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), where he now serves as a Senior Fellow specializing in archaeological excavations and Chinese jade research. A former visiting scholar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, he has authored several books on Chinese jades, including the 15-volume The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China (2007), one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, as well as Chinese Jade: The Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Jade in China (2012). China, circa 1600-1046 BC. The feline beast exquisitely carved crouching on all fours, ready to pounce, the mouth wide open in a ferocious roar revealing sharp fangs, its long tapering tail curling upward to form a hole for suspension. The contours of the beast are superbly crafted with rounded outlines and richly carved overall with double-line scrollwork. Openings at the mouth and curling tail for suspension. The translucent stone is of an even pale celadon tone with cloudy inclusions, russet shadings, and few dark specks. Dimensions: Length 9 cm The zoomorphic design of the present piece is characteristic of Shang dynasty jade carving. It is notable that while certain features on the tiger are rendered with a degree of realism, such as the eyes and ears, other elements are more abstractly represented, such as the use of square scrolls to highlight the stripes on the body, and the inclusion of short horns. The perforations at the mouth and tail suggest that the piece was likely suspended and worn as a pendant. Jade figures of this type appear to derive from contemporary depictions of tigers on bronzes from southern China, as discussed by Jessica Rawson in Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 206, where she illustrates a line drawing of a bronze tiger with one of a jade example from the tomb of Fu Hao, fig. 3. Similar jade carvings were excavated from the Tomb of Fu Hao, a consort of King Wu Ding (1324-1265 BC), and illustrated in the Tomb of Lady Hao at Yinxu in Anyang (Yinxu Fuhao mu), Beijing, 1980, pl. CXXXV, pls. 1 and 2, together with a malachite tiger, pl. CLXXV, no. 4, and one carved from bone, pl. CLXXXIII, no. 3. The Tomb of Fu Hao is an important archaeological site located at Yinxu, the ruins of the ancient Shang dynasty capital Yin, within modern-day Anyang in Henan Province, China. Discovered in 1976 by archaeologist Zheng Zhenxiang, the tomb was identified as the final resting place of Queen and military general Fu Hao, who died around 1200 BC. Fu Hao is believed to be the Lady Hao mentioned in oracle bone inscriptions by King Wu Ding and one of his many wives. The tomb contained an extraordinary array of artifacts, including 755 jade objects, which encompassed both contemporary Shang jades and older pieces from the Longshan, Liangzhu, Hongshan, and Shijiahe cultures. Notably, the Tomb of Fu Hao is the only Shang royal tomb discovered intact, with its contents undisturbed, likely due to its remote location, far from other known burial sites. This pristine condition has provided invaluable insights into Shang dynasty culture and the significance of jade in their ritual practices. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related jade tiger from the Tomb of Fu Hao, illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji, Diaosu bian, v. 1 (Beijing: renmin meishu chubanshe, 1988), p. 51. Compare a related jade pendant in the form of a tiger with similar pose and tail, dated late Shang dynasty, Anyang period, 5.7 cm long, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.553. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 2 April 2019, lot 3443 Price: HKD 350,000 or approx. EUR 42,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving, stone, and subject, with similar pose, tail, and double-line scrollwork. Note the size (10.3 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 2727 Price: HKD 437,500 or approx. EUR 52,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving, stone, and subject. Note the size (8.3 cm). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU. 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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