A JADE CARVING OF AN ELEPHANT MING DYNASTY

finely carved in the round as an elephant standing four-square with its head turned to the right with its trunk curled alongside its foreleg, the naturalistic markings to the feet, ears and tail well defined, all above a boy clambering on the backside of the elephant holding a brush, with his companion cleaning with a brush standing by its hind leg, the boys wearing loose flowing robes and displaying broad smiling faces, the stone of a translucent grey tone with russet inclusions   

Exquisite Jade Carving, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 105.

The carving is in very good condition. There are natural veins and small patches of calcification to the stone.
"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 carver's dexterity with jade is clearly evident in the depth of carving achieved in this playful piece. With a variety of twisting and turning poses of the figures and elephant, the sense of liveliness is captured and enhanced through the natural russet inclusions of the stone. The motif of figures washing an elephant originated in Song painting and grew to popularity during the Ming dynasty. A slightly later version from the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware III, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 98; and another from the De An Tang collection was included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 89. See a painting of two boys washing an elephant, by the Ming painter Cui Zizhong, published in Osvald Siren, Chinese Painting. Leading Masters and Principles, vol. 6, London, 1958, pl. 313.

Compare a similarly carved example of two boys and an elephant sold in our New York rooms, 23^rd June 1976, lot 257; a larger, slightly later version sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 23^rd March 1993, lot 962; and another with a potted plant on the back of the elephant, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27^th November 2007, lot 1562.

The elephant is associated with the mythical Emperor Shun, one of the twenty-four paragons of filial piety and is also the mount for the Buddhist deity Samantabhadra. A boy climbing or riding an elephant symbolises the wish for good fortune.