A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE GROUP OF A WATER BUFFALO AND A CALF, 18TH - 19TH CENTURY China. Carved in the round as a large water buffalo lying placidly on its stomach with four legs bent underneath and the head turned to the left towards a smaller buffalo, the gracefully curved horns flanking the flat forehead, the neck detailed with an undulating dewlap, the tail finely detailed with hair markings. The calf with its head raised playfully facing his larger companion. The translucent stone of even white to very pale celadon tone with distinct russet and white veining.

Provenance: From the collection of the late Michael Sherrard CBE, QC, acquired before 2000 and thence by descent. Michael Sherrard (1928-2012) was an English barrister in fraud and company law who was considered one of the great recent influences on the legal profession. He was involved in numerous high-profile cases in both English and East Asian courts, particularly Hong Kong and Singapore. Together with Linda Goldman, he wrote a memoir titled “Wigs and Wherefores: A Biography of Michael Sherrard QC”. Sherrard was an enthusiastic collector of Chinese art, especially jade carvings.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time. The stone with an attractive soft polish.

Weight: 340.0 g
Dimensions: Length 8 cm

As a familiar beast of the fields, the water buffalo underpinned rice production and the rural economy. As such it is emblematic of agriculture and springtime and represents strength, endurance, dedication to hard work, prosperity, and tranquility. It is also used in artistic representations, particularly in Chinese paintings, to evoke a bucolic, idealized existence in the countryside. This, in turn, feeds into a more mythical or spiritual side to the buffalo, recalling both Buddhist and Daoist concerns with retreat, and the founder of Daoism, the philosopher Laozi, who departed from the borders of the known world on a buffalo.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 December 2021, lot 220
Price: HKD 852,500 or approx. EUR 107,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A superb pale green jade 'buffalo and young' group, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, and the fine incision work. Note the larger size (12.5 cm) and the fact that this group is firmly dated to the 18^th century.



十八至十九世紀白玉留皮子母牛擺件
中國。圓雕子母牛，五官清晰，呈俯臥狀，腿彎曲在肚子下面，一隻小牛依偎在大牛身旁，頑皮地抬起頭，面對著母牛。玉質溫潤細膩，包漿醇厚。

來源：Michael Sherrard CBE，QC 收藏，於 2000 年之前購買，保存至今。Michael Sherrard (1928-2012年) 是一名英國大律師，被認為是近期對法律界產生重大影響的人物之一。 他在英國和東亞法院，尤其是香港和新加坡，參與了多起著名案件。 他與Linda Goldman一起寫了一本回憶錄，題為《Wigs and Wherefores: A Biography of Michael Sherrard QC》。 Sherrard 是一位熱心的中國藝術品收藏家，尤其喜愛玉雕。
品相：狀況極好，有一些磨損。具有天然內沁和裂縫的玉料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些可能已經發展成微小的裂縫。

重量：340.0 克
尺寸：長 8 厘米

牛是最早被人類馴養的六畜之一，成為農耕社會裡重要的生產力。作為農耕社會的圖像符號，牛還像徵著春天，代表著力量、耐力、對辛勤工作的奉獻、繁榮和安寧。它也用於藝術表現，特別是在中國畫中，它是宋元畫家筆下描繪鄉野之趣、田園牧歌的詩意“化身”，也因此牛還有其神秘的一面，比如道教對退隱的嚮往，比如老子騎著青牛。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2021年12月2日，lot 220
價格：HKD 852,500（相當於今日EUR 107,000）
描述：十八世紀青白玉雕子母牛擺件
專家評論：比較非常相近的姿勢和精緻的雕刻。請注意尺寸較大 (12.5 厘米) ，以及此玉被斷為十八世紀。