A CELADON JADE CARVING OF A FINGER CITRON, CHINA, 18TH - 19TH CENTURY
The naturalistically carved ‘Buddha Hand’ attached to an open worked gnarled stem issuing attendant leaves, exquisitely carved with nine ‘fingers’ extending sinuously and mingling at their tips. The delicately polished, translucent stone of a pale celadon hue with russet patches as well as cloudy and icy inclusions.


Provenance:
French trade.

Condition:
Superb condition with minor wear and microscopic nibbles here and there. The inside of the fruit with a few untreated drilling tracks, not visible from outside. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks over time.

Weight: 436.7 g
Dimensions: Length 14.3 cm


The Chinese name for finger citron
, foshou, is also a pun based on fu for ‘blessings’ or ‘riches’ followed by shou for ‘longevity’. In addition, the finger citron fruit was thought to resemble the hand of the Buddha, with its idealized, lotus-shaped ‘fingers’. Although inedible, the fruit has a strong citrus fragrance which is often used for scenting rooms, and for offerings at the Buddhist altar.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related jade finger citron, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 9. Qing dynasty, Beijing, 2011, no. 159. Compare a related jade carving of a finger citron, illustrated by Roger Keverne, Jade, London, 1995, pp. 165, fig. 94. Compare a related group included in the exhibition, Minor Arts of China, IV, Spink & Sons, London, 1989, illustrated in the catalog, p. 124, no. 174.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 22 September 2020, lot 205
Price: USD 80,900 or approx.
EUR 87,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pale celadon jade carving of a finger citron, Qianlong period
Expert remark: Compare the related hue of the jade and leafy branch carved at the base. Note the size (16.3 cm).




十八至十九世紀青玉佛手

自然隨形雕刻佛手瓜形擺件，下方有一小枝。玉石呈淺青色，帶有赤褐色脈紋和淺灰色脈理以及絮狀物。整體瑩潤光滑。


來源：
法國古玩交易。

品相：
狀況極佳，有輕微磨損和微小的磕損。內部有一些未經處理的鑽孔痕跡，從外面看不到。玉石上有天然的内沁和裂隙，有些隨著時間的推移已經發展成細小的裂紋。

重量：436.7 克
尺寸：長 14.3 厘米


文獻比較:

比較一件相近的佛手玉，收藏於北京故宮博物院，見《故宮博物院藏品大系・玉器編9・清代》，北京，2011年，編號159。比較一件相近的佛手玉，見Roger Keverne，《Jade》，倫敦，1995年，頁165，圖94。比較一件相近的玉器，見《Minor Arts of China》，卷四，Spink & Sons，倫敦，1989年，頁124，編號174。


拍賣比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2020年9月22日，lot 205
價錢：USD 80,900（相當今日
EUR 87,000
）
描述：清乾隆青白玉雕佛手擺件
專家註釋：比較相近的底座雕刻的玉石和綠葉樹枝的色調。請注意尺寸 (16.3 厘米)。