登录
Expert’s note
The pairing of a large and small Buddhist lion, dashi xiaoshi (大獅小獅), forms an auspicious rebus for taishi shaoshi (太師少師), ‘Grand Preceptor and Junior Preceptor,’ two prestigious titles within the imperial government. The motif therefore conveys the wish that the owner and his descendants may attain high office, honor, and lasting prosperity. Particularly favored by Qing dynasty carvers, it appears in jade, hardstone, ivory, wood, and other precious materials. The compact, playfully intertwined composition was ideally suited to carving in the round, allowing craftsmen to demonstrate their skill through deeply undercut limbs, curling manes, and ingeniously connected bodies. Its execution in turquoise is especially rare, combining a familiar symbol of advancement and dynastic continuity with one of the most challenging and highly prized materials available to the Qing carver.
China, 1736-1795. Finely carved in openwork as a mother and cub, the larger lion resting while the younger climbs atop her back with two paws balancing on a large brocade ball suspending sashes. The scene framed by a gnarled pine tree and rockwork issuing lingzhi. The opaque stone is of a vibrant and characteristic color with dark gray veins.
Provenance: Alfred Speelman, London, United Kingdom, acquired before 1970 and thence by descent to his son Jules. The private collection of Jules Speelman, London. Jules Speelman is a world-leading dealer and collector of East Asian art with 60 years of experience. In 1964 he joined his late father, Alfred, in the family business which already stretched back three generations to 19th century Holland and expanded into England around the turn of the century. Originally, A & J Speelman dealt with antiques, from European ceramics, silver, tapestries, and furniture to Chinese porcelain, and works of art. With his father, Jules gradually shifted the focus towards Asia and under Jules Speelman's skilled direction, A & J Speelman is now considered amongst the foremost dealers in Asian antiques, with a particular emphasis on figurative sculpture and works of art from the past 2000 years.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, and a tiny fill to the right ear of the bigger lion.
Weight: 132 g (the carving), 159 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Length 8.4 (the carving), Height 8.6 cm (incl. stand)
With an openwork wood stand and padded storage box. (3)
Carved turquoise figures are exceedingly rare within the corpus of Chinese art. Primarily sourced from regions including Mongolia, Tibet, and Afghanistan, turquoise was a highly valued material under the Yuan and Qing dynasties, whose rulers shared a northern nomadic heritage and held particular appreciation for precious stones.
Known in Chinese as lüsongshi (green pine stone), turquoise is a porous and relatively soft material that can be easily scratched and was therefore more commonly employed as an inlay or as an element of court dress accessories rather than for independent objects. Ranging in color from greenish hues to sky blue and frequently traversed by a dense matrix, turquoise demands exceptional imagination and technical skill to successfully align an auspicious subject with the stone’s irregular character.
Following the Qing conquest of Xinjiang in 1759, turquoise mines in the region provided the court with direct access to substantial sources of the stone. Long prized in Tibetan culture for its Buddhist associations with the wisdom of earth and sky, turquoise was readily adopted by the Qing court, as evidenced by objects such as the Qianlong Emperor’s turquoise necklace worn during ceremonial rites at the Altar of the Moon, now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, object number 故00071687, and a gold stupa inlaid with hardstones, including turquoises, crafted on the Qianlong's orders to store the remains of his mother's hair, in the same museum, object number 故00011866.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 11 September 2012, lot 339
Mid-Estimate: USD 30,000 or approx. EUR 37,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A turquoise carving of Xi Shi, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
Expert remark: Compare the related stone and manner of carving. Note the different subject.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Zacke, Vienna, 16 April 2026, lot 132
Price: EUR 31,200
Description: An outstanding turquoise ‘three friends of winter’ vase and cover, Qianlong period
Expert remark: Compare the related stone and manner of carving. Note the different form and size (23 cm), and that this turquoise vase also came from the Speelman Collection.
|
|
| Galerie Zacke | |
| 地址： | Zelinkagasse 6, 1010 Vienna, Austria |
| 电话： | 0043-1-5320452 |
| 邮编： | 1070 |
| 向卖家提问 | |
