A JADE 'ER ZI' PENDANT QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

the flattened oval pendant finely carved and pierced in relief with two qilong dragons in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', their sinuous bodies with outstretched limbs and long curling bifurcated tails coiling around the central aperture, the reverse with the two characters Er zi in zhuanshu, the stone of a greyish-white tone with burnet and russet inclusions utilised to highlight the carving

Exquisite Jade Carving, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 175.

The overall condition is very good. There is an old original vein in the stone across one of the dragon's tail.
"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 Qing emperors' penchant for the antique saw a great number of copies of ancient jades and high-quality archaistic carvings to be produced. This expertly carved pendant is based on the bi, an ancient ritual jade that is normally circular in form. However, this piece was not intended to serve any ritual purpose and the disc now forms the basis for two Han-type dragons that crawl sinuously around the edge of the disk, thus enhancing the feeling for the past. The carving is also a vehicle for displaying the inherent qualities of the material, chosen in this case with special care to appeal to a reticent taste and to a scholar or antiquarian for whom excellence of workmanship was secondary to the jade itself.

Compare a slightly earlier example of similar form and style in the British Museum, included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 349, and illustrated in the full catalogue published in Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 40, London, 1973-75, cat. no. 349; and another in the Kirknorton collection, illustrated in Brian Morgan, Naturalism and Archaism: Chinese Jades from the Kirknorton Collection, London, 1991, pl. 71. A circular version, but with a rice-grain patterned back, in the De An Tang collection was included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade from the De An Tang Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 133.

For the inspiration of this piece, see an example carved with similar composition and form, attributed to the Han dynasty, in the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, included in the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 156; and another illustrated in Yang Boda, Zhongguo Meishu Quanji. Yuqi, vol. 9, Beijing, 1991, pl. 191.

The Qianlong emperor had a passion for chi-dragons, and interpreted chi to be xi, which means happiness. As a result, the coiled chi dragon was a popular motif amongst Qing court artifacts. The inscription er zi can be translated as 'two sons'.