A FINE AND RARE WHITE JADE BOAT GROUP QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

finely carved with three figures on a long boat with woven awning, one figure standing next to a fish basket manning the long pole with one hand and holding a small boy with the other, the other man on the far end of the boat with both arms stretched pulling the net from the sea, his shoes, neatly placed behind him, together with a covered pot with two handles, the underside well carved with fine incised markings of swirling crested waves, the stone of even white stone, presented upon a two-tiered finely carved wood stand with intricately carved wave and openwork design with silver inlaid  

The overall condition is very good with very crisp carving and no visible condition issues. The actual colour is slightly greyer than in the catalogue illustration. The stand is original.
"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."

Jade boat carvings such as the present piece represent the extraordinary techniques attained by the Qing craftsmen as evidenced in the hollowed out interior of the boat and figures modelled in the round. Moreover, a heightened sense of life and vitality has been achieved by the naturalistic poses of the figures, who have been caught in a moment of action, as well as the crested waves around the base.

See a related carving in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 62; another in the Alan and Simone Hartman collection, illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 165; and a third example published in James C.Y. Watt, Chinese Jades from the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1989, pl. 64, where he notes that these types of boats are found in the Jiangnan region, where Suzhou is situated. Watt also mentions the hardwood stands on which jade carvings were mounted were in themselves accomplished sculptures, often taking the form of plants, rocks or waves to compliment the work it supported (ibid., p. 86).