A pale green jade 'praying mantis and cicada' belt-hook


18th centuryThe terminal deftly carved as the head of a praying mantis depicted with bulging eyes, extending to a slender elongated neck, the lower section of the arched shaft naturalistically modelled in the form of a cicada with finely-patterned wings tucked behind its back, the underside with a round knob, wood stand. 11.8cm (4 1/2in) long. (2).
|十八世紀 青白玉雕螳螂捕蟬帶鉤Provenance: A Dutch private collection, purchased in the 1950sMarchant, London來源：荷蘭私人舊藏，購於1950年代倫敦MarchantIt is very rare to find a jade belt-hook carved with praying mantis and cicada. See a white jade belt-hook carved with a similar subject, 18th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 19 September 2013, lot 1193.青白玉質，鉤首圓雕作螳螂頭部形狀，雙目如米粒狀外凸，鬚作片狀，鉤身隆起，俗稱「螳螂肚」，鉤肚隨形雕成蟬形，肢節薄翼磨刻精細不爽。 螳螂捕蟬的典故源自《莊子·外篇·山木》：「莊周...睹一蟬方得美蔭而忘其身；螳蜋執翳而搏之，見得而忘其形；異鵲從而利之，見利而忘其真。」以此如題的玉器並不多見，可參考佳士得紐約2013年9月19日售出一件十八世紀白玉螳螂捕蟬帶鉤，和此件頗似，拍品編號1193。