A WHITE JADE 'BIRD AND CHRYSANTHEMUM' BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

skilfully modelled in the form of a long-tailed bird. possibly a magpie, the cover well rendered in the form of the upper torso of a bird, the bird portrayed with round eyes and grasping in its short beak a leafy gnarled branch bearing a chrysanthemum bloom, its plumage and elongated striated tail intricately incised, all resting atop the well-fitted box worked as its feathery lower body with clawed feet picked out on the underside, the stone of a pale celadon-tinged white colour with natural veins and inclusions

Sotheby’s London, 24th April 1987, lot 315.

Good overall condition, with just a small section of the branch in the bird's mouth broken off and polished, and two small areas of restoration at the tip of the birds beak and the flower on its left.
"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."

Superbly modelled in the form of a bird, possibly a magpie, and skilfully hollowed to form a box, this piece is notable for its fine craftsmanship, evidenced in the meticulous rendering of the feathers. It belongs to a special group of finely carved boxes in the form of birds and animals that were made from the first years of the Qianlong Emperor's reign. A pair of jade boxes in the form of magpies, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 183; another was sold at Bonhams London, 13th May 2010, lot 13; and a third, attributed to the 19th century, was sold in these rooms, 5th October 2011, lot 2037. Compare also a pair of jade boxes modelled in the form of quails, included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 196; and two further boxes, sold in these rooms, the first in the form of a phoenix 23rd May 2005, lot 331, and the second modelled as a duck, from the collection of T.Y. Chao, 19th May 1987, lot 358.

Boxes of this type were used to store miniature works of art and were kept on tables or cabinets, where they could also be appreciated as works of art. A box in the form of a rabbit, containing a miniature ivory boat, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in the Museum's exhibition Jiangxin yu xiangong Ming Qing diaoke zhan/Uncanny ingenuity and celestial feasts. The carving of Ming and Qing dynasties, Taipei, 2011, cat. no. 12.