AN EXCEPTIONAL OPENWORK AND RETICULATED IVORY ‘HUNDRED BOYS’ VASE AND COVER, LATE QING TO REPUBLIC
China, late 19th to early 20th century. The ovoid body rising from a waisted foot to a concave neck with an everted rim, meticulously carved with innumerable boys engaging in leisurely pursuits, decorated with key-fret, bat, ruyi-head, leiwen, and floral bands.


Provenance:
From the private collection of a French diplomat.

Condition:
The neck with discoloration and extensive crackling to the ivory due to heat influence, areas of touchup limited to the neck, otherwise in superb condition with minor wear, minuscule nicks, and occasional light scratches. The lid slightly paler than the vase.

CITES
: European Union Certificate number AT 23-B-0294, dated 27.7.2023.

Weight: 2,044 g
Dimensions: Height 32.6 cm

The domed oval cover with a finial in the form of two boys seated on a lotus leaf, one playing the flute and the other gleefully laughing.


The present piece
is decorated with the subject of the ‘Hundred Boys’, a very popular motif in porcelain decoration as it symbolizes the Chinese perpetual wish for many sons. According to Terese Tse Batholomew in Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 63, the 'Hundred Boys' theme has its origins in the Western Zhou dynasty when King Wen of the Zhou adopted one son in addition to his ninety-nine sons to complete the number of one hundred.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 11 November 2011, lot 1345
Price: GBP 32,450 or approx.
EUR 60,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large carved ivory vase and cover, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related vase and cover, possibly from the same workshop, but slightly larger (41 cm), and depicting the immortals as the main subject instead of the hundred boys.

This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.




清末民初象牙鏤空雕嬰戲圖瓶

中國，十九世紀末至二十世紀初。瓶身呈圓柱形，瓶身分層精心雕刻著嬰戲圖，有玩耍的，有玩琴的，有舞龍的，並裝飾著雷紋、蝙蝠與纏枝花卉紋。


來源：
法國外交家私人收藏。

品相：
頸部因熱影響而變色，表面有大量裂紋，頸部有修補。基本狀況極佳，輕微磨損，小刻痕，局部輕微劃痕。 蓋子比花瓶略微白。

CITES:
歐盟證書編號AT 23-B-0294，於2023年7月27日發行。

重量：2,044 克
尺寸：高32.6厘米


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2011年11月11日，lot 1345
價格：GBP 32,450（相當今日
EUR 60,000
）
描述：十九世紀象牙蓋瓶
專家評論：比較非常相近的瓶和蓋，或許來自相同作坊，尺寸稍大(41厘米)，並以仙人為主要題材，而不是百童。