A FINELY CARVED CELADON JADE DUCK QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

standing on an angular boulder with its head turning back towards its left wing, the duck's feathery wings resting at its sides and intricately detailed with fine incised lines picking out each plume, its head slightly cocked to the side and flanked by a pair of small rounded eyes high up on its forehead, its beak slightly open to reveal a long curved tongue, the stone of even celadon-white colour with light greyish-white speckling, stand

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 17th November 1975, lot 289.

This jade duck is in very fine condition. As expected for jade pieces of its age and type, there are a few nicks to the sharp corners of the carving on the carved rockery base. The colour of the stone on the whole is slightly more celadon than as illustrated in the catalogue illustration. The colour of the stone resembles the left hand side of the photograph along the shaded area of the duck's neck.
"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."

For a closely related duck see one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 83.