A rare white jade reticulated 'egret and lotus pond' finial


Yuan/Ming DynastyDeftly carved and pierced in openwork as six elegant egrets in a tranquil pond among towering lotus stalks and blossoms, swaying and bending in the breeze, the base pierced with eight small apertures, the stone of even pale-white tone, with very minor inclusions. 5cm (2in) high.
|元/明 白玉鏤雕鷺蓮紋爐頂Provenance: S.Marchant & Son Ltd., LondonA distinguished English private collection來源：購於倫敦S.Marchant & Son Ltd.英國顯貴私人收藏Compare with two related reticulated jade 'egret and lotus' finials, Yuan dynasty, one of which was unearthed from the Ren family tomb at Qingpu, Shanghai, Yuan dynasty, illustrated in Shanghai Museum Ancient Jade Gallery, Shanghai, p.36. See also a related reticulated white jade finial, Ming dynasty, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, Ming Dynasty, vol.6, Beijing, 2010, pl.118.