清乾隆 青白玉天祿蓋盒一對

each cover finely carved in the form of the upper torso of a tianlu, its bulging eyes, furled ears and long curved horn naturalistically rendered, the fitted box in the form of its recumbent lower body with its legs tucked beneath, its sides decorated in relief with stylised scrollwork interrupted by a chevron band bordering the rim of the box, the stone of a celadon colour with attractive russet inclusions

In overall good condition. There is a minute nick to the tip of the horn of one tianlu cover. The catalogue illustration bears more of a yellowish tone.
"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."

This playful pair of boxes has been modelled in the form of tianlu, a mythical hybrid creature that is traditionally known to ward off evil spirits and attract wealth. Animal-form boxes were used to store miniature works of art and were kept on tables or cabinets, where they could be appreciated as works of art in their own right. A white jade box of a mythical animal containing a miniature handscroll, with eyes inset with spinel, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 19th September 1988, lot 533, and again, 29th November 2005, lot 1566.

Examples of jade boxes in the form of animals and birds include one modelled as a recumbent deer, sold in these rooms, 19th November 1985, lot 72; a fish-form box, in the De An Tang collection, included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 88; a pair of boxes modelled as magpies grasping a branch of lingzhi, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 183; and a pair of quail-shape boxes, published in Chinese Jades from the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1989, pl. 73.