A YELLOW JADE 'TWIN BOYS' VASE, CONG MING DYNASTY

the cong of flattened rectangular form with banded divisions at the corners, supported and flanked by 'twin boys', each smiling broadly while holding the vessel, the pale yellow stone with tawny inclusions and areas of calcification

Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 136.
Exquisite Jade Carving, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 17.

The overall condition is very good. The actual colour is slightly a richer yellow than in the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Small jade vessels, usually archaistic in form, flanked by images of boys portraying themes from the hundred boys tradition of the Song period was popular throughout the Ming period. Compare vessels of various forms similarly decorated with boys; for example see a zun vase in the Bei Shantang collection, included in the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 135; an ovoid jar in the Avery Brundage collection, illustrated in Rene-Yvon Lebebvre d'Argence, Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1977, pl. XLII; and a bowl included in the exhibition Jades from China, The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 1994, cat. no. 286. See also a later bowl with two handles carved as boys in the Qing Court collection, and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware III, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 163.