A FINE IMPERIAL JADE 'CAT' CARVING QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

well carved in the form of a recumbent cat lying on a broad leaf, the animal with alert eyes and powerful paws, detailed with striated fur along its raised spine extending to the bushy tail, grasping a butterfly in its mouth, a kitten with a sinuous tail licking the cheek of the cat, the stone of a celadon-tinged white tone enhanced by russet patches, imperial zitan stand

Apart from a 0.1 cm chip developed from the natural veining to the back of the leaf, the overall condition is very good.
"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 present carving is impressive for the fine attention to detail given to the piece as a whole, from the naturalistic forms of the cats to the delicately modelled veins of the leaf. A smaller related example in the Qing Court collection, and still in Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 85; a carving depicting a single cat crouching on a leaf while watching a butterfly, in the Avery Brundage collection, is illustrated in Terese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 173, fig. 7.8.1; and another from the collection of C.P. Lin was included in the exhibition and Exquisite Jade Carvings, The University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 120.

The Chinese word for 'cat' (mao) is homophonous with the word for 'age eighty to ninety' and the butterfly (die) for 'age seventy to eighty'; thus these are symbolic of longevity. Such a piece would have been presented as a birthday gift.