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A rare Chinese group of the Tyrolean Dancers, Qianlong period, circa 1752
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A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 1
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 2
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 3
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 4
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 5
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 6
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 7
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 8
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 9
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 10
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 11
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 12
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 13
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 14
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 15
A carved agate rectangular plaque Qing dynasty, probably 18th century image 16
Property from Various Owners
Lot 7126

A carved agate rectangular plaque
Qing dynasty, probably 18th century

Fine Chinese Works of Art and Paintings
23 June 2015, 10:00 PDT
San Francisco

Sold for US$5,000

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A carved agate rectangular plaque

Qing dynasty, probably 18th century
The smoky amber toned stone displaying several defined areas of dark brown coloring, masterfully utilized to pick out the highlights in a scene of an ox-herd and his charge beneath a gnarled pine tree growing from the side of an rocky overhang, all under a blazing sun, against an background of contorted rocks.
2 1/4in (5.8cm) long

Footnotes

Provenance:
the Green Willow Hall Collection of Jade Carvings,
Bonhams, Hong Kong, sale 15502, 26 May 2007, lot 338

The character niu is a generic term for all members of the bovine family. The design on this plaque brings to mind the series of ox-herding pictures believed to have been created by Song dynasty Chan Buddhist master Guoan Shiyuan. According to James C.Y. Watt in Chinese Jades from the Han to the Ch'ing, New York, 1980, p.65, the subject matter of the boy and a buffalo made its first conspicuous appearance during the Southern Song. To this day, the first page of the Chinese almanac continues shows an ox-herd and his ox. The dress of the ox-herd indicates the type of weather the new year will bring. The ox's simple pure nature has caused it to become associated with Daoist and Chan philosophy, and it serves as the mount for Laozi. In addition, due to its importance to agriculture, the ox has come to symbolize strength, tranquility and rural life.

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A rare Chinese group of the Tyrolean Dancers, Qianlong period, circa 1752
FOUR CHINESE YIXING WARES Late Qing dynasty - 20th century
FIVE BURMESE AND THAI GILTWOOD FIGURES OF BUDDHA Late 19th/20th century
TWO JAPANESE CELADON GLAZED STUDIO CERAMICS
Huang Shanshou (1855-1919) Dragons in Clouds
Birodo Yuzen Meiji era (1868-1912)
TWO JAPANESE BRONZE SCHOLAR'S OBJECTS Meiji/Taisho era
A KOREAN UNDERGLAZE-BLUE AND COPPER-RED-DECORATED 'GRAPEVINE' GLOBULAR JAR Late Joseon dynasty
A JAPANESE SIX-PANEL 'FARM SCENE' FOLDING SCREEN Late 19th/early 20th century
A KOREAN FOUR-PANEL 'PEONIES AND CALLIGRAPHY' FOLDING SCREEN Late Joseon dynasty
AN INSIDE-PAINTED ROCK CRYSTAL 'LADIES' SNUFF BOTTLE, SIGNED YE ZHONGSAN 1919
A CHINESE YELLOW GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE 19th century
A FAMILLE-ROSE ENAMELED PORCELAIN COVERED BALUSTER JAR 18th/19th century
A PAINTED LACQUERED-WOOD FOUR-DOOR CABINET Early 20th century