AN EXCEPTIONAL WHITE JADE 'BOY AND CAT' GROUP QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

depicting a young boy standing next to a small cat crouching by his side and looking up at the boy, the figure depicted looking at a small butterfly on his shoulder and holding a large palm leaf in his left hand, the weathered leaf extending over his shoulder and down his back, the cherubic figure accentuated with small tuffets of hair at the top of his head and loose garments picked out with small stars

The stone is of even pale celadon-white colour with a fine soft polish. There is some faint natural occasional russet veining, skilfully incorporated in the design, such as along the edges of the weathered banana leaf coating the back of the boy on the reverse. There is some expected very insignificant original nibbling along the edges of the carving, but overall the figure is in very good condition.
"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 theme of boys playing with animals represents a traditional motif developed over a thousand years and favoured on account of its implied wish for the prosperity of male offspring. In this piece, the boy is depicted with a butterfly and a cat, both symbolic of longevity. The two form the pun maodie (‘May you live into your seventies and eighties’); hence this piece would have been an appropriate birthday gift.

See a carving of a boy and cat sold in our New York rooms, 18th March 2008, lot 186; another, attributed to the Song dynasty, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, illustrated in Angus Forsyth and Brian McElney, Jades From China, Bath, 1994, pl. 242; a third, attributed to the Ming dynasty in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 6, Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 285; and a plaque in the form of a boy and cat, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th November 2011, lot 3195. For related figures of boys playing with small animals, see one carved with a deer, sold in our New York rooms, 18th September 2007, lot 185; one with a goose, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2008, lot 2304; and another with a dog, from the collection of Gerald Godfrey, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 20th October 1995, lot 883.