A pale green jade carving of a 'horse' emblem, Qing dynasty, 18th / 19th century | 清十八 / 十九世紀 青白玉七政寶之寶馬

The Tortoiseshell and Ivory House Ltd., London, 10th December 1968.

來源:

The Tortoiseshell and Ivory House Ltd.，倫敦，1968年12月10日

The present piece is the finial for one of the Seven Precious Emblems of Royalty. According to the Mahabheriharaka Sūtra (Great Drum Sūtra), the Universal Monarch descended to earth bearing Seven Regal Symbols: the Wheel of the Law, the Elephant, the Horse, the Jewel, the Queen, the Minister, and the General. Among these, the Horse symbolizes speed, strength, and the ability to overcome obstacles, famed for its ability to run like the wind, and represents facility in war and transportation.

See a closely related example of a single emblem of the horse, pale green jade finial with gilt-copper stand, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (中銅002603N000000000); another full set of seven emblems example with spinach-green jade finials, also in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Zhu Renxing, Special Exhibition of Buddhist Gilt Votive Objects, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1995, cat. no. 24-3.