Celadon jade with fine cloudy pattern and partial russet inclusions, considered in the overall artistic composition, even and smooth surface polish. China, 18th-19th century

Fine and detailed carving in the shape of a pebble stone, depiction of a rotund dragon-fish with flattened scaly body of a carp and the maned head of a dragon with articulated eyes and single horn, depicted with broad curling pectoral fins, the slightly opened mouth bearing a large pearl among scrolling ‘Lingzhi’ foliage, continuing under the body, verso with involute lotus leaves covering the beast’s body, the stone of a fine tone and with artistic composition, considering the natural coloring.

Shape: Oval flattened pebble shape with sculptural and vivid, partly deep dimensional carving in the round, naturalistic details reticulately carved and drilled out of the stone
Dimensions: 7,5 cm (length), 5 cm (height), 2,5 cm (width)
Condition: Very good condition with natural veining of the stone, excellent hand patina
Provenance: American Private Collection. Old collector’s inscription on the verso reads: ‘[illegible inventory no.] Hartman’
Literature comparison: The transformation of the carp fish into a dragon, leaping over the rapids of the Dragon Gate in the Yellow River, is a popular subject. It stands as a metaphor for a scholar passing the civil examinations and becoming a high official. Artworks depicting this subject were often given to those studying for their civil service exams in hopes of a good result. Cf. Carved Jade Animals, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1996, cat. no. 122. See also another related example from the Ming Dynasty in the collection of the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, inv. no. BATEA : 472. Published in: Jades from China, Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 1994, cat. no. 293.

十八至十九世紀青白玉彫吉祥龍魚擺件
青白玉略帶細膩的絮狀紋路，局部紅棕色
沁，比例協調，表面光滑
中國，十八至十九世紀

隨型雕刻而成的龍魚，刀法流暢，靈動聲
韻，扁平鱗片狀鯉魚身，單角龍頭，捲曲
胸鰭，身上一顆大珍珠，一朵漸開的蓮花
覆蓋在魚身上，魚尾分叉，尾部紋路雕琢
精細，龍首張口，展現威猛氣勢，身姿矯
健，色調自然且精緻。
形狀：橢圓形扁平的卵石狀雕刻，局部雕
刻十分立體，自然主義的細節雕刻
尺寸：7,5厘米（長），5厘米（高），2,5
厘米（寬）
品相良好，包漿細膩
美國私人收藏。 可見老藏家標注 [illegible
inventory no.] Hartman

文獻比較：鯉魚躍龍門是一個很受歡迎吉
祥寓意。古喻金榜題名。類似的藝術品經
常被送即將考試，希望事業有成。參看
香港藝術博物館《Carved Jade Animals》
，1996年，目錄編號122。另見巴斯東亞
藝術博物館博物館明代藏品，藏品編號
BATEA：472. 發表於：《中國的翡翠》，
東亞藝術博物館，巴斯，1994年，目錄
編號293。