A PALE CELADON JADE FIGURE OF A PERSIAN FALCONER, 18TH CENTURYChina. Finely carved, clad in a long cloak hanging over the shoulders and loose robes tied at the waist, wearing a large hat, a falcon perched on his right hand, and holding a treasure in his left hand, his square face with a broad mouth and short beard, flanked by elongated earlobes. The finely polished stone of translucent quality showing an even, pale celadon color with only scattered cloudy-white inclusions.Provenance: British trade.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and few minuscule nicks to the rim of the hat. Good, unctuous feel overall.Weight: 143.4 gDimensions: Height 8.4 cmThe costume of this well-carved figure identifies him as a foreigner, while the treasure held in his hand suggests he is a tribute bearer. The falcon in his right hand also indicates that he is a falconer, most likely of Persian descent. Small jade figures of this type were first made during the Tang dynasty when figures of foreigners were produced in various materials, representing the cosmopolitan society of the period.Falcons and falconry have been part of the religious and ideological tradition of the Persianate world from remote antiquity to the pre-modern period. The falcon has been important as a symbol of royal ideology and political legitimation. Already from the earliest Zoroastrian hymns, the Avesta, to manuals on falconry in the nineteenth century, the importance of this bird and the sport is detailed. As the privileged hobby of sovereigns and high dignitaries, falconry seems to have flourished in pre-Islamic Iran, as evidenced by various legends relating to hunting parties. In Islamic Iran, the expensive sport of hunting with falcons continued to be a favorite entertainment of the rulers and high dignitaries, enabling them to parade military prowess in times of peace. The prestige of such sport was enhanced because the Arab overlords in Baghdad and their provincial deputies, after having encountering the Persians, Byzantines, and others, had developed a keen enthusiasm for falconry.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s London, 18 May 2018, lot 455Price: GBP 5,000 or approx.EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A carved pale celadon jade figure of a foreigner, Qing dynasty, 17th/18th centuryExpert remark:pare the related robe, facial features, and color of the jade. Note the slightly smaller size (7.5 cm).Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 17 March 2016, lot 950Price: USD 93,750 or approx.EUR 111,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare small pale greenish-white jade figure of a foreigner, late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 16th-18th centuryExpert remark:pare the related robe, pose, and near-identical size (8.9 cm).