A WHITE AND RUSSET JADE 'EGRET AND MILLET' OPENWORK OVAL PLAQUE Ming Dynasty The oval plaque expertly pierced and carved with an egret with finely incised plumage gazing up at a descending egret above with outstretched wings, all against a dense ground of millet and curling stalks and leaves, the stone of even pale white tone with slightly brownish patches, later silver mount as a brooch. 6.2cm (2 1/2in) wide. Footnotes: 明 白玉鏤雕嘉禾鷺鷥紋牌 Provenance: Hilton Hotel shop, London Trudy and John Cohen, collection no.H10 來源：希爾頓酒店商店，倫敦 Trudy及John Cohen伉儷，收藏編號H10 The egret (lu 鷺) is depicted with stalks of millet, forming an auspicious visual rebus. The bird's name 鷺 is a homophone of 路 (lu, 'path' or 'career'), while grain may allude to 禄 (lu, 'emolument' or 'official salary'). Together, the motif conveys a wish for prosperity and success along one's career path, and by extension abundance and advancement. Such imagery was particularly favoured on scholar's objects and decorative works expressing aspirations for official success and sustained good fortune. See a related jade openwork oval plaque, Ming dynasty, with reeds and geese, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, 6, Beijing, 2011, p.206, no.191. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing