A CELADON AND RUSSET JADE 'FINGER CITRON' VASE, 17TH - 18TH CENTURY China. Naturalistically carved issuing from a gnarled leafy branch serving as the base of the vase, the body formed of rounded undulating 'fingers' evoking Buddha's hand, a small leafy peach sprig to one side. The stone is of a deep celadon tone with russet veining, russet and pale gray shadings, and cloudy inclusions. Subtle manual polish with an unctuous feel overall.

Provenance: New York trade.
Condition: The massive vessel is in good condition with old wear and few minuscule nicks here and there. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.

Weight: 1,070 g
Dimensions: Height 16.9 cm

Although finger citrons were a popular subject for jade lapidaries of the earlier Qing dynasty, the present example is of an exceptionally large size. The finger citron is also known as 'Buddha's hand' because of the long tendrils that look like fingers. Although inedible, the fruit has a strong citrus fragrance which is often used for scenting rooms, and for offering at the Buddhist altar. Its auspicious symbolism derives from the play on the Chinese word for finger citron, foshou, homophonous with the words for blessings, fu, and longevity, shou.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 3267
Price: HKD 250,000 or approx. EUR 35,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pale greenish-white jade finger citron-form vase, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related round and curved tips of the fingers and the similar size of the vase (16.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 15 September 2015, lot 195
Price: USD 112,500 or approx. EUR 137,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large celadon jade carving citron, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form of the fruit and gnarly stem forming the base. Note the significantly larger size (23.5 cm).


十七至十八世紀青玉留皮佛手瓜玉瓶
中國。自然隨形雕刻佛手瓜形玉瓶，一側是一枝桃葉小枝。玉石呈深青色，帶有赤褐色脈紋、赤褐色和淺灰色脈理以及絮狀物。整體瑩潤光滑。

來源：紐約古玩交易市場。
品相：玉瓶狀況良好，磨損很舊，到處都有一些微小的刻痕。玉石具有天然內沁和紋理，其中一些可能隨著時間的推移發展成細小的細裂縫。

重量：1,070 克
尺寸：高16.9 厘米

佛手是清代早期翡翠玉器雕刻常見的題材，但本例的尺寸異常龐大。因為其長得像手指，所以也被稱爲“佛手”。雖不可食用，但有濃郁的柑橘香味，常用於香室和供奉佛壇。其吉祥的象徵意義源於對漢字“佛手”的指法，與”福”和“壽”字諧音。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2016年6月1日，lot 3267
價格：HKD 250,000（相當於今日EUR 34,000）
描述：十八世紀清代青白佛手瓜玉瓶
專家評論：比較相近的弧形和指尖，以及相似的尺寸(16.5 厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2015年9月15日，lot 195
價格：USD 112,500（相當於今日EUR 132,500）
描述：十八世紀清代大型青玉佛手瓜
專家評論：比較相近的果實外型和底座糾結的莖。請注意尺寸較大 (23.5 厘米)。