A CELADON JADE BRUSH REST WITH CONFRONTING DRAGONS AND MOUNTAINS

The stone is of an even celadon hue
China, Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912)


Carved in the form of a mountain with several peaks with waves crashing against the rock formation at the lower end. The show side bears the detailed portrayal of two confronting dragons of which the scaled tails are also visible between the mountain peaks on the backside.

This elegant piece exemplifies the aesthetic taste of scholar-officials of the Ming and Qing dynasties, who sought objects for their studio that had a variety of functions, such as brush rests and paperweights, as well as being works of art in their own right.

Shape: Sculptural
Dimensions: Length 12 cm
Weight: 176.7 grams
Condition: excellent condition
Provenance: American private Museum collection

Literature comparison: a slightly larger carving of this theme, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 9, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl.64, together with one modelled as three peaks with chilong, pl. 66.

Auction results comparison: Sotheby’s, SATURDAY AT SOTHEBY’S: CHINESE ART, Hong Kong, 21 March 2015, lot 692. (for a comparable example, of the same size and dating)

青玉龍騰群山筆擱，清代
玉石呈現均匀青色
中國， 清代

造型：雕塑
尺寸：長 12 厘米
重量：176.7 克
品相：極好
來源： 美國私人美術館收藏