MING DYNASTY
Carved from white jade, this piece takes on a slight bluish-white hue. The techniques of drill pipes and relief are largely employed to remove the jade stone textures that lack desired patterns, creating a three dimensional effect through multiple transparent mountain peaks. On the front, a pine tree standing on a huge rock serves as the background. In the middle, an embossed scholar holds a duster. To the right of the man stands a celestial crane looking back, and to the left stands a child servant. Under the child is a crouching deer looking back. At the back of the sculpture, instead of human figures, the intertwining branches of the pine tree wind around the rock with glossy ganoderma popping out from the crevices, creating a scene of a worldly paradise. The scholar expresses a lofty and cultivated spirit, and the images of a crane and deer suggest endless aspiration for longevity.H: 14.5 cm