A YELLOW JADE CARVING OF A DUCK 17TH/18TH CENTURY

finely carved in the form of an archaised mandarin duck with its head elegantly turned back, its ruffled plumage picked out in low relief with archaistic motifs, the underside revealing its webbed feet naturalistically detailed in low relef, the smoothly polished stone of a warm yellow tone with attractive russet splashes to highlight the carving

Exquisite Jade Carving, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 97.
Chinese Jade Animals, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 166.

The overall condition is very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present piece is a highly successful combination of high-quality stone, controlled detail and graceful composition, as well as the fusion of archaistic and naturalistic styles of carving. The Qing period represents the pinnacle of naturalism achieved in carving, and the blending of acute observation with archaistic decorative elements was especially popular during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. This style is superbly exemplified in this carving which has been treated in an antique style, with formalised body and plumage and archaic bronze design on its wings, but its head and feet are carved naturalistically. Carvings of this type would have appealed to the literati class as it looked back to ancient times and thus carried a powerful symbolic meaning.

For jade ducks carved in this style, see one sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3rd November 1997, lot 851. Compare also an elaborately carved phoenix in the Seattle Art Museum, illustrated in James C.Y. Watt, Chinese Jades of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1989, pl. 63; and an earlier a jade goose from the Guan-fu collection, included in the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, Asia House Gallery, Washington D. C., 1980, cat. no. 82, where it is noted that 'the pose of this bird is reminiscent of the very early stone weights of Mesopotamia'.