Magnificent Jewels
Magnificent Jewels
Auction Closed
October 7, 10:25 AM GMT
Estimate
2,800,000 - 3,800,000 HKD
Lot Details
Description
LAVENDER JADEITE BANGLE
天然紫羅蘭翡翠手鐲
The lavender jadeite bangle of good translucency, with flattened inner rim.
Inner diameter and thickness approximately 58.40mm and 19.12mm.
Accompanied by Hong Kong Jade and Stone Laboratory certificate no. KJ 85508, dated 15 May 2014, stating that the lavender jadeite is natural, known in the trade as "A Jade". Also accompanied by a Gübelin report no. 20091001, dated 1 September 2020, stating that the jadeite jade is natural, with no indications of treatment, may also be called "Type A" in the trade. Further accompanied by a Gübelin appendix, stating that "The natural jadeite jade...possesses a richly saturated violet colour, combined with a fine texture. Such a combination of characteristics is rare in natural lavender jadeite jades of this size."
內直徑及厚度約58.40毫米 及 19.12毫米, 香港尺寸1.56; 台灣尺寸18.5
The Luck of Lavender
Purple is prized in the natural world because the colour exists in very few plants and minerals. Purple is also the product of blue and red, which gives the colour a rich array of tones between light and shadow, warm and cool. Lavender jadeite, also called “purple jadeite” or known by experts as “spring-coloured jadeite,” is only produced in very small quantities. It is generally believed that different shades of lavender are created when jadeite contains trace amounts of iron and manganese.
In both Eastern and Western cultures, purple is a symbol of nobility. In China, purple is a mark of honour – the Ming and Qing imperial palaces were literally called the “Purple Forbidden City,” a reference to the Daoist saying: “Purple vapour coming from the east.” The purple vapour is an auspicious sign heralding an important arrival, and the phrase often appears in the couplets over doors ahead of the Lunar New Year. Purple vapour represents luck and wealth and could bring good fortune. Another Chinese phrase, which literally translates to “red turning to purple,” describes someone reaching the peak of their career or reputation. The phrase originates to the Tang dynasty, which ranked imperial princes by blood and officials of the third grade in robes of purple, while officials of the fifth grade wore red. Purple and red were colours worn by high officials and other elites, with purple indicating higher status.
In the West, purple robes in ancient Rome were exclusively worn by emperors. Purple dye was so difficult to produce, it was more expensive than gold. Later, the colour became essentially equivalent to imperial or royal authority. In 16th century England, Queen Elizabeth I prohibited palace officials from wearing purple without authorization. In court even today, only the monarch’s crown can be purple. For both Protestants and Catholics, the colour is the symbol of the holy spirit, so it is often used for holy vessels or vestment decoration. Purple is a shared aesthetic or religious symbol and a sign of authority in both Eastern and Western cultures.
As civilization advanced, jadeite carving became more sophisticated and the material itself became the symbol of good wishes. People believed that wearing jadeite had the effect of concentrating positive energy, bringing good luck and warding off ill fortune. Jadeite carved in a circular shape represents the harmony of heaven and earth, so bangles, huaigu, and other circular jadeite adornments became very popular. The opening of the lavender jadeite bangle, Lot 1630 offered in this sale is a perfect circle. Because of its rounded exterior and flat interior, this type of bracelet is also referred to as a “peace bangle”, when translated from Chinese and wearing it expresses a desire for peace. Lavender jadeite is produced in very small quantities, and most of what is produced is a pale lavender colour. Lot 1630 is a rarity for its bright, saturated colour, and solid, wide shape.
幸運之紫
紫色是自然界裡最珍貴的顏色,只存在於少數的植物、礦物之中。在光譜中,紫色是波長最短的色光,而紫介於藍與紅之間,因此可以有豐富的明暗、冷暖變化的紫色色調。紫色翡翠,又稱為「紫羅蘭」翡翠,也被行家稱作「春色」,產量稀少,普遍認為是因翡翠礦石中含有少量的鐵和錳元素,可以形成不同紫色色調的翡翠。
紫色無論在東西方文化中,都是高貴的象徵。在中國,紫色代表尊貴,如明清時期的宮殿稱為「紫禁城」;源自道教典故的「紫氣東來」,則比喻祥瑞降臨,常被批於春聯的橫幅,人們相信紫氣代表著吉祥、財富,可以帶來福佑;而「紅得發紫」,則形
容人的事業或名聲達到巔峰狀態,是以唐代的官服,親王及三品官以上為紫色,五品以上為紅色,紅、紫皆為高官顯貴的服色,而紫色更高一級,故有此義。
在西方,古羅馬時代的紫袍是皇帝的專屬衣著,因為當時的紫色染料難以生產,價值甚至超過黃金,此後,紫色在西方幾乎與皇權畫上等號;十六世紀,英國女王伊莉莎白一世,曾禁止宮廷官員隨意穿著紫色,至今英國仍然只有君主的王冠,才能使用紫色;而在基督教、天主教中,紫色被視為聖靈、崇高的象徵,因此常被運用在聖器或主教的服飾上。可見無論是在美學、宗教、權貴表徵等方面,紫色可說是跨越東西文化的共同聯繫。
隨著人類文化的發展,玉石除了講究其形制,更延伸出諸多美好的寓意,認為佩帶玉可以凝神聚氣、趨吉避凶,而圓形的玉更代表天地之司的和諧圓滿,所以手鐲、懷古等圓形玉飾都非常受歡迎。本次拍賣的, 1630號拍品紫羅蘭翡翠手鐲,圈口為正圓,條形為外圓內平的拋面,又稱平安鐲,佩戴有平平安安的美好寓意。紫色翡翠礦石不僅產量稀少,而且大多為淡紫色,, 1630 號拍品紫羅蘭翡翠手鐲,不僅色彩鮮明飽和,而且取材厚實、條幅寬闊,難得一見。