A SPINACH-GREEN JADE ‘LINGZHI AND FINGER CITRON’ RUYI SCEPTER, CHINA, 18TH CENTURY
Finely carved, the scepter with a flattened ruyi head in the shape of a lingzhi, carved in openwork with two smaller lingzhi reaching beyond the top. The gently arched handle is also carved in openwork and relief, depicting lingzhi sprouts and a leafing branch in with two finger citrons. The semi-translucent stone of a deep spinach-green tone with dark specks and veining.


Provenance:
From the collection of Vice-Admiral Edgar Humann, and thence by descent in the same family. Edgar Eugène Humann (1838-1914) was a French naval officer who rose through the ranks to Admiral. In 1892, he was placed in command of the Far East naval division. From 1894 to 1895, he served as Chief of Staff of the French Navy, and in 1898, he was made Inspector General and Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor. He retired from active duty in May 1903.

Condition:
Very good condition with only minor old wear, minuscule nibbling, and few tiny nicks. The stone with natural fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks. There are no breaks or repairs of any kind to the handle or the ruyi head, a pristine state of preservation that is exceedingly rare to find, especially when combined with an ancient provenance, such as the present lot.

Weight: 343 g
Dimensions: Length 40.1 cm


Literature comparison:

Compare a closely related spinach jade ruyi scepter carved with lingzhi and peaches, also dated to the 18th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 02.18.491.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 March 2009, lot 412
Price: USD 25,000 or approx.
EUR 33,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A well-carved spinach-green jade ruyi scepter, 18th/19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, color, and lingzhi decoration, albeit further with chilong. Note the size (31.1 cm).




十八世紀菠菜綠玉雕靈芝佛手如意

鏤空圓雕而成。仿生雕刻，如意柄隨形雕刻成佛手之軀幹，小枝曲繞，上結佛手瓜，局部靈芝相伴；如意頭採用高浮雕、透雕相結合的技法，使枝葉、果實更加形像生動。構思精巧，妙趣天成。品相佳美，包漿溫潤。


來源：
海軍中將Edgar Humann收藏，在同一家族傳承。Edgar Eugène Humann（1838-1914 年）是一位法國海軍軍官，後來晉升為海軍上將。1892年，他被任命為遠東海軍師司令。1894年至1895年，他擔任法國海軍參謀長，1898年被任命為監察長和榮譽軍團大軍官，1903 年 5 月退役。

品相：
狀況非常好，只有輕微磨損、微小的刻痕，玉石帶有天然裂隙，有的已發展成細小的裂紋。手柄或如意沒有任何破損或修復。

重量：343 克
尺寸：長 40.1 厘米


文獻比較:

比較一件非常相近的十八世紀菠菜綠玉雕靈芝和桃如意，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號 02.18.491。


拍賣比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2009年3月18日，lot 412
價錢：USD 25,000（相當今日
EUR 33,000
）
描述：十八至十九世紀菠菜玉如意
專家註釋：比較非常相近的外形、顏色、靈芝裝飾，但另有一螭龍。請注意尺寸 (31.1 厘米)。