拍品信息
拍品名称
十八/十九世紀 蘇作瑪瑙巧雕鵲橋相會圖詩文佩 | A SUPERB CARVED AGATE 'WEAVER GIRL AND COWHERD' PENDANT
年代
Suzhou, 18th/19th century
起拍价
GBP 12,000
估值区间
GBP 12000 - 15000
尺寸
未知
品相
未知
更多信息
Suzhou, 18th/19th century
Exquisitely carved with the cowherd standing atop a large ox crossing a bridge with finely incised hairs, the body cleverly highlighted in tones of russet and dark brown, the weaver girl above on a cloud with six crows arching around the left of the pendant to form a bridge connecting them, the reverse with calligraphic inscription issuing from a cloud, a sage below floating on a raft above waves, later 18ct-gold clasp. 5.1cm (2in) long.
Footnotes
十八/十九世紀 蘇作瑪瑙巧雕鵲橋相會圖詩文佩
款識：天缘巧月渡銀河
Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London
A British private collection, acquired from the above on 16 November 1960, and thence by descent
來源：倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.，
英國私人收藏，從上處獲得于1960年11月16日，並由後人保存迄今
The present lot is notable for the exceptional quality of its carving and the skilful exploitation of the natural layers and tonal variations of the agate. The carver has used the contrasting russet, amber, cream and dark brown tones to distinguish the figures, ox and landscape, while the deeply undercut modelling gives the composition a remarkable sense of three-dimensionality. Particularly impressive is the use of the darker inclusions for the six crows, which arc around the pendant to form a visual bridge between the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, while the finely incised details of the ox's hair and the delicate clouds and waves demonstrate the precision of the carving.
The story of the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd (Zhinü and Niulang) depicted on the present lot, is one of China's most beloved romantic legends, celebrated during the Qixi Festival, often called the Chinese Valentine's Day. According to the tale, Zhinü was a celestial weaver, daughter of the Jade Emperor, who descended to earth and fell in love with the humble cowherd Niulang. They married and lived happily, but when the heavens discovered their union, the goddess of heaven separated them by creating the Milky Way across the sky. Moved by their devotion, a flock of magpies, sometimes described as black crows in regional versions, took pity on the lovers and formed a bridge with their wings once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, allowing the two to reunite. The image of these dark-winged birds bridging the stars has come to symbolise love's perseverance and the tenderness of reunion after separation.
The inscription on the reverse may be translated as:
Compare with a related agate '' pendant, Suzhou, 18th/19th century, from the Trudy and John Neville Cohen collection, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 5 May 2025, lot 40. Compare also with a related agate 'birthday' pendant, Suzhou, mid-Qing dynasty, from the Bloch collection, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 24 November 2010, lot 236.
Exquisitely carved with the cowherd standing atop a large ox crossing a bridge with finely incised hairs, the body cleverly highlighted in tones of russet and dark brown, the weaver girl above on a cloud with six crows arching around the left of the pendant to form a bridge connecting them, the reverse with calligraphic inscription issuing from a cloud, a sage below floating on a raft above waves, later 18ct-gold clasp. 5.1cm (2in) long.
Footnotes
十八/十九世紀 蘇作瑪瑙巧雕鵲橋相會圖詩文佩
款識：天缘巧月渡銀河
Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London
A British private collection, acquired from the above on 16 November 1960, and thence by descent
來源：倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.，
英國私人收藏，從上處獲得于1960年11月16日，並由後人保存迄今
The present lot is notable for the exceptional quality of its carving and the skilful exploitation of the natural layers and tonal variations of the agate. The carver has used the contrasting russet, amber, cream and dark brown tones to distinguish the figures, ox and landscape, while the deeply undercut modelling gives the composition a remarkable sense of three-dimensionality. Particularly impressive is the use of the darker inclusions for the six crows, which arc around the pendant to form a visual bridge between the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, while the finely incised details of the ox's hair and the delicate clouds and waves demonstrate the precision of the carving.
The story of the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd (Zhinü and Niulang) depicted on the present lot, is one of China's most beloved romantic legends, celebrated during the Qixi Festival, often called the Chinese Valentine's Day. According to the tale, Zhinü was a celestial weaver, daughter of the Jade Emperor, who descended to earth and fell in love with the humble cowherd Niulang. They married and lived happily, but when the heavens discovered their union, the goddess of heaven separated them by creating the Milky Way across the sky. Moved by their devotion, a flock of magpies, sometimes described as black crows in regional versions, took pity on the lovers and formed a bridge with their wings once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, allowing the two to reunite. The image of these dark-winged birds bridging the stars has come to symbolise love's perseverance and the tenderness of reunion after separation.
The inscription on the reverse may be translated as:
Compare with a related agate '' pendant, Suzhou, 18th/19th century, from the Trudy and John Neville Cohen collection, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 5 May 2025, lot 40. Compare also with a related agate 'birthday' pendant, Suzhou, mid-Qing dynasty, from the Bloch collection, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 24 November 2010, lot 236.
常见问题
这件十八/十九世紀 蘇作瑪瑙巧雕鵲橋相會圖詩文佩 | A SUPERB CARVED AGATE 'WEAVER GIRL AND COWHERD' PENDANT的成交价是多少？
落槌价为 预展中。 成交价为 预展中。
