AN IVORY AND GOURD ‘SANYANG’ CRICKET CAGE, QING DYNASTY
China, 18th-19th century. The bulbous base is surmounted by a tall flaring neck with an ivory rim and cover. The cover is carved in openwork with three rams, climbing nimbly up craggy rocks beneath pine trees and a sun disk with delicately scrolling rays. The interior of the cover is meticulously reticulated, and the rim is finely polished.


Provenance:
From an old Viennese private collection. Galerie Zacke, Vienna, ca. 1985. Austrian private collection, acquired from the above. An old label on the base inscribed by Irene Zacke, ‘130/9,800/Grillenkäfig, China 19. Jh.’

Condition:
Very good condition with only minor old wear, expected natural imperfections including age wrinkles to the gourd and few microscopic age cracks. Magnificent, naturally grown patina overall.

CITES
: European Union Certificate number AT 23-B-0156, dated 12.5.2023.

Weight: 110.1 g
Dimensions: Height 13.5 cm


The ram is a symbol of filial piety
, kindness, and patience. The three rams (sanyang) are also an auspicious motif, related both to the sun and to male children, as they provide a rebus for san yang kai tai, the opening up of the new growth in Spring, which in turn symbolizes happiness and good fortune.


Literature comparison:

Compare a closely related gourd and ivory cricket cage with floral decoration, 12.5 cm high, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 2002.271.22a, b.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 10 May 2016, lot 12
Price: GBP 18,750 or approx.
EUR 32,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An ivory and gourd cricket cage, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the gourd and ivory material. Note the slightly different form and additional tortoiseshell cage. Note the size (17.2 cm).

This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.




清代三羊開泰象牙蛐蛐罐

中國，十八至十九世紀。葫蘆蛐蛐罐，邊緣和蓋子是象牙。蓋子中央開光鏤空雕刻著三羊開泰圖。三隻羊靈活地跳到上松樹下的岩石上。蓋子的內裏有細緻的網紋，邊緣經過精細的拋光。


來源：
維也納私人收藏；維也納 Zacke藝廊，約1985年；奧地利私人收藏，購於上述藝廊。底座可見一個Irene Zacke寫的標籤 ‘130/9,800/Grillenkäfig，China 19. Jh.’ 。

品相：
狀況極好，只有輕微磨損，自然瑕疵，包括葫蘆的老化皺紋和一些微小的裂紋。整體呈現自然包漿。

CITES
: 根據《瀕危野生動植物種國際貿易公約》編號AT 23-B-0156，時間爲2023年5月12日。

重量：110.1 克
尺寸：高 13.5 厘米


文獻比較：


比較一件非常相近的花紋象牙蛐蛐罐，高12.5 釐米，收藏於明尼亞波利斯藝術博物館，館藏編號2002.271.22a，b。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2016年5月10日，lot 12
價格：GBP 18,750（相當於今日
EUR 32,000
）
描述：十八至十九世紀象牙蛐蛐罐
專家評論：比較葫蘆和象牙材質。請注意外形較不同，以及有龜甲籠。請注意尺寸 (17.2 釐米)。