AN IMPOSING PALE CELADON JADE CARVING OF A QILIN QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

carved recumbent with legs and hooves neatly tucked beneath, turning its head sharply towards its back, its dragon head detailed with bulging eyes below bushy brows, flared nostril with long curling whiskers, and a pair of stag antlers tied across by a billowing ribbon swaying gently over its wispy mane, its ribbed scaly body draped in thin swirls of vapour issuing from the chest and a finely delineated bushy tail flicked over its right haunch, its back supporting a branch of peaches bearing two large fruits, the smoothly polished stone of even pale celadon colour with a light brown streak on the chest and faint occasional snowflake inclusions, original fitted wood stand with prunus and pine cones

William Clayton Ltd., London, 10th September 1956 (fig. 1).
Mr. & Mrs. Laurence Evans Collection.

Asian Art, Knapton & Rasti, London, November 2003, no. 37.

The carving is in overall good condition. There is a small chip to one of the peach branches at the back and a few expected occasional nibbles along the edges of the carving. The body of the mythical beast has a natural horizontal vein which has been skillfully integrated in the design to resemble flaming haunches. The actual colour of the stone is consistent with 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."

The present piece is outstanding for its large size and high-quality stone which has been skilfully modelled in the round. The qilin is a fabulous creature with five-coloured skin, with the body of a deer, the forehead of a wolf, the tail of an ox, and the hooves of a horse. This carving captures the different elements and respective textures that comprise the creature as seen in its scaly back, lean yet powerful torso and legs, and the wisps of hair of the face and tail, as well as the peach branches. The delicacy of the carving is perfectly offset by the evenly toned white stone which also endows the figure with an ethereal quality. Many of these jade carvings were based on illustrations in contemporary woodblock print manuals, such as the Cheng shi moyuan (Ink Impressions of Cheng)(1606), and this figure also reveals the carver’s ability to successfully transform such prints into remarkably naturalistic three-dimensional figures.

While both the qilin and peach were popular motifs in Chinese art from the Ming dynasty, the combination of peaches emerging from the creature’s mouth is unusual and possibly a contemporary interpretation of a traditional theme. The qilin is one of the most auspicious creatures of China, said to live for a thousand years, appearing only during the reign of a benevolent ruler and symbolic of longevity, grandeur, felicity, illustrious offspring and wise administration. They are generally better known depicted carrying books on their back which refers to the birth of Confucius. According to legend, when Confucius was about to be born, a qilin appeared to his mother and coughed up a jade tablet that foretold of the greatness of the unborn child.

Jade carvings of qilin with books include one from 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. 94; and another sold in our London rooms, 6^th/7^th June 1967, lot 341, and again at Christie’s New York, 15^th September 2011, lot 1030.