- 10
A CELADON AND BROWN JADE FIGURE OF A BOY ON HOBBY HORSE MING DYNASTY
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 HKD
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Description
- jade
depicted riding on a hobby horse with his left hand grasping the reins, his right arm raised holding a large lotus leaf, the hair gathered into two topknots, the stone of a golden beige tone with darker patches
Condition
Minute abrasion and bruises to the extremities including the lotus leaf.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Images of boys playing with a hobby horse comprise part of the popular ‘boys at play’ and ‘Hundred Boys’ subjects that emerged from the Song dynasty. This theme is symbolic of the Confucian ideal for the education and advancement of many sons, a wish further emphasised by the lotus he carries which represents ‘May you continuously give birth to distinguished sons’. As the boy is depicted riding a hobby horse, this conveys the wish for it to come immediately or soon (mashang) which is a pun for ‘to be on top of a horse’.
This lively motif continued to be used in jade carvings through to the Qing dynasty. For an eighteenth century example, see a white jade figure from the Muwen Tang collection, sold in these rooms, 1st December 2016, lot 158. Compare also a figure, depicted holding a rattle instead of a lotus stem, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, coll. no. BATEA 1218; and a figure of a boy holding a lantern on a pole, from the collection of Florence and Herbert Irving and now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, acc. no. 2015.500.5.14.