A ‘BUDDHA’S HAND’ POMANDER JADE PENDANT, QING DYNASTY China, 1644-1912. Finely carved in openwork as a Buddha’s hand citron with curled fingers, borne on a gnarled stem allowing for suspension and carved with a lingzhi sprig, one side in relief with a mongoose holding a cash coin. The translucent stone of a pale celadon tone with russet veining and cloudy white inclusions. A circular aperture serves for the funneling of scented herbs.

Provenance: From a private collection in southern France.
Condition: Good condition with minor old wear, few minuscule nicks, the stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.

Weight: 51.9 g
Dimensions: Height 6.2 cm

The pierced sides and closed fingers of the pendant, allowing it to be filled with scented substances, indicate its use as a pomander. Furthermore, the pendant is filled with auspicious imagery. According to tradition, the Buddha prefers the ‘fingers’ of the fruit to be in a position where they resemble a closed rather than open hand, as closed hands symbolize the act of prayer. Additionally, the lingzhi is associated with longevity while the mongoose and coin are symbols of wealth.

清代佛手玉香薰
中國，1644-1912年。精雕細琢的佛手香薰，可以用於懸掛，並刻有靈芝，一側浮雕有一隻貓鼬抓著錢幣。 淺青色調的半透明玉料，帶有赤褐色的脈絡和白色絮狀物。圓形孔用於放置有香草。

來源: 法國南部私人收藏。
品相: 品相良好，有輕微磨損，少量細小的刻痕，玉料有天然的裂痕，隨著時間的推移，有些裂痕可能已經發展成細小的裂縫。

重量: 51.9 克
尺寸: 高6.2 厘米