A Chinese hardwood table screen inset with a jade ruyi head dating from the Yuan dynasty. The reticulated ruyi head is carved with a deer. Dimensions are: 8 1/2 inches tall X 7 3/4 inches wide X 3 1/4 inches deep, 21.59 cm X 19.69 cm X 8.26 cm, the jade measures 2 3/4 tall X 3 3/4 inches wide.,6.99 cm X 9.53 cm. All measurements are approximate. Condition: Minor separation at the seams of the wood, minor age wear to the plaque, overall good condition. A reminder that all lots are sold as-is. We have sought to record the changes in the condition of this piece after its initial manufacture as diligently as possible; however, as stated in our terms, condition reports are statements of opinion and not representations or warranties. Oakridge Auction Gallery bears no responsibility for any error or omission. Provenance: From the collection of Mr. Williams in Texas. Mr. Williams has more than 50 years of collecting experience in Buddhist sculptures, paintings, and ritual objects from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, and the Central Plains of China. He has participated in sales around the world including in Hong Kong and throughout Tibet and Europe. Notes: No period in Chinese dynastic enterprise can be said to have the same cache as jade carving during the Yuan Dynasty. Rich in visual detail and depth, carving during this period flourished and is still regarded as the benchmark of artistic expression to this day. New drilling and carving techniques enabled jade carvings to become multilayered and naturalistic, with curving elements and negative space playing a large role in the visual composition. Mostly consisting of finial and plaques, these jades are among the most precious of Chinese heirlooms.As such, few jade plaques are as stunning as this one. Its soft black and white coloring imbues the piece with inherent poise and depth, creating a dappling effect of shadow and light across the swaying leaves that hang in the upper register of the carving. These leaves curl at the edges, and barely discernible veins trace across their small surfaces. The leaves chain together in a single vine above a small deer, who occupies the middle register of the plaque. The lone deer stands on the bank of a brook, stretched out along its length. In the register below it, the water of the brook flows rapidly, as though from a fresh fall of rain. The repeating pattern of its waves mirror the curling leaves overhead, surrounding the deer in a landscape of motion. Yet amidst all this it stands still, placid, safe in this beautifully carved woodland haven. The wooden frame of the table screen housing the plaque reinforces both the movement of the carving and its natural serenity. The screen is fashioned with its own pattern of bands and coils, with shapes similar to those made by the leaves and waves in the jade. And the dark, rich wood allows one to believe that the deer is surrounded by an interlocking copse of trees. As a whole, this graceful jade plaque, expertly carved by a Yuan Dynasty craftsman, pairs handsomely with its delicate wooden table screen, creating a unified, dynamic piece of art.硯屏由屏芯和座屏兩部分組成。屏芯木框內嵌橢圓形元代白玉瓦子，白度一流，雕刻了秋山圖，中間為一只白色的小鹿，周圍布滿纏枝花卉紋，元朝琢玉業有很大發展，其接受漢族傳統的愛玉風上，近取金宋、遠法漢唐，繼承宋金傳統琢法技藝。元朝政府網羅掌握了大量的工匠，使之官辦手工業生產，沿用宋金玉器傳統題材：花卉紋的延續，螭虎紋的再興，春水玉、秋山玉的進一步世俗化。創造元代的風格。將秋山玉逐漸衍變為福鹿圖案。其影響一直波及明清。故從雕工及玉質來看，此件作品應為元代產物。座屏滿工雕琢，構圖繁密縟華，制作工藝精湛。此硯屏裝飾華麗，氣度不凡，置於書齋案頭，別有一番意趣。Similar examples can be found in the collections of the Palace Museum in Beijing under the accession numbers 00200662 and 00221800. Similar examples have been sold at Sotheby's Paris on December 10, 2019, as lot 56, and Beijing Poly International Auction Co, Ltd on June 2, 2011, as lot 7405. 可參閱故宮博物院藏元代白玉透雕秋葵蝶鳥紋嵌飾，編號新00200662(fig. 1)；故宮博物院藏元代白玉透雕獅戲圖嵌飾，編號故00221800 (fig. 2)。另見蘇富比巴黎2019年12月拍賣，編號056；北京保利拍賣2011年春拍，編號7405。High resolution photos can be found here.