A LARGE INSCRIBED WHITE JADE CARVED 'HEHE TWINS' PENDANT QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of circular form, finely carved on one side with one of the Hehe twins dancing next to a pigeon, his raised hands issuing from loose robes with swaying sleeves, the reverse detailed with a basket overbrimming with leafy lotus and inscribed with the four characters huan tian qi di ('Joy and happiness'), the stone of an even white colour highlighted with shades of light brown near the bottom

The pendant is in very good overall condition. It is pierced at the top and bottom to thread a string and as visible on the photo. The actual colour is slightly tinged to celadon tone compare to 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."

Notable for the flawless quality of the stone enhanced by the refined carving of the boy dressed in a loose and swaying robe playing with a bird, pendants of this type were among the most popular jade carvings made at the Suzhou workshops from the early Qing dynasty onwards. Compare a pendant of similar form and carved on one side with a boy holding a vase, sold in these rooms, 28^th October 1992, lot 574; one decorated with the Hehe twins from the collection of Mrs Demaree Bess, sold in these rooms, 1^st May 1991, lot 289; another sold in our London rooms, 6^th December 1994, lot 91; and a fourth, of rectangular form from the Lizzadro collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 21^st March 2013, lot 829.

The boy on this pendant is likely to represent one of the Hehe er Xian or the ‘Immortals of Harmony and Union’ twins, and is possibly one a pair of pendants carved with this subject. The Hehe twins are often identifies as the priests Han Shan and Shide, the former a monk poet of the Tang dynasty who after retiring, led a reclusive existence on Mount Tiantai in Zhejiang province. It was at the Guoqing monastery that he met Shide, a younger monk who worked in the kitchen and scullery. The two became good friends and together enjoyed reciting poems while helping the poor in neighbouring villages. Always depicted joyful and smiling, the two monks came to represent a blessed union and were believed to preside over happy marriages.