A CELADON JADE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, 17TH-18TH CENTURYChina. Finely carved, seated in dhyanasana, holding an offering bowl in his lowered right hand, his raised left held in abhaya mudra, wearing heavily pleated robes draped over his right shoulder and opening at the chest to reveal a beaded necklace. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes centered by a circular urna and slender lips forming a benevolent smile. The superbly polished stone is of a deep celadon tone with cloudy inclusions and russet veins. Note the high translucency of the jade, particularly striking in the left hand.Provenance: The trade in Paris, France.Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, few minuscule nicks, remnants of ink, the stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.Weight: 1,180 g (excl. stand)Dimensions: 16.5 cm (excl. stand) and 19.5 cm (incl. stand)With a finely carved and fitted zitan double lotus stand, dating from the same period. (2)Buddhism flourished during the Qing dynasty, and was encouraged by the devotion of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors. Buddhist artifacts were consequently produced in significant numbers for the imperial court, particularly as ceremonial gifts, such as for the birthdays of members of the court. The popularity of the present form of Buddha carved in jade is apparent from a number of examples of the highest quality surviving in the Imperial collections, most notably in the Palace Museum, Beijing.Expert’s note: The present jade shows superficial remnants of ink, which we have left in place to some extent, despite the fact they are rather easy to remove, as they indicate appreciation by a previous collector, perhaps a scholar or artist who often had ink-stained fingers as they handled this Buddha.Literatureparison:See for example a fine celadon jade Buddha, illustrated inpendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Jade 8: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, no. 234, and other Buddhas illustrated ibidem, nos. 236-238. The Imperial association for such jade Buddhas is further evidenced by a related white jade Buddha from the Prince Kung Collection, illustrated in the catalog produced by American Art Galleries, The Remarkable Collection of the Imperial Prince Kung of China, New York, 1913, no. 71. A celadon jade figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, holding a small stupa, is illustrated in Treasures from Snow Mountains, Gems of Tibetan Cultural Relics, Shanghai Museum, 2001, no. 37.Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2021, lot 2718Price: HKD 1,375,000 or approx.EUR 168,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pale greenish-white jade seated figure of Buddha, Qing dynasty, 18th centuryExpert remark: Note the similar size (17.2 cm)Auction resultparison:Type: Closely