A CARVED BAMBOO FIGURE OF A RECUMBENT TOAD, CHINA, 18TH CENTURY
Naturalistically carved in the form of the rotund crouching amphibian with bulging eyes, webbed feet, neatly incised mouth, and a series of smoothly rounded warts on its back. The surface patinated to a rich reddish-brown color overall.


Provenance
: English trade.

Condition
: Very good condition with significant old wear as expected, few nicks, light scratches. Natural imperfections including age cracks.

Weight: 33.7 g
Dimensions: Length 7.3 cm


Literature comparison:

Compare a related carving of a toad inscribed with the characters zhuyin and attributed to the sixteenth century, included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition The Radiant Ming 1368-1644, Hong Kong Museum of History, Hong Kong, 2015, cat. no. 188.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 26 May 2021, lot 570
Price: HKD 25,200 or approx.
EUR 3,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved bamboo recumbent toad Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, modeling, and manner of carving with similar speckled skin and warts. Note the size (6 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 10 May 2017, lot 15
Price: GBP 2,500 or approx.
EUR 4,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bamboo-root ‘toad’ carving Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, modeling, and manner of carving with similar speckled skin and warts.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 April 2015, lot 3693
Price: HKD 112,500 or approx.
EUR 15,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bamboo-root carving of a toad Qing dynasty, 18th/19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, modeling, and manner of carving with similar speckled skin and warts.




十八世紀竹根雕蟾蜍

自然隨形雕成圓形蹲伏的蟾蜍，大眼凸出，腳有蹼，嘴巴線條清晰，細節生動。表面呈濃郁的紅棕色，刀法古樸，可愛喜人。


來源：
英國古玩交易。

品相：
狀況極好，如有明顯磨損，少量刻痕，輕微劃痕，有年代裂紋。

重量：33.7 克
尺寸：長 7.3 厘米


文獻比較：

比較一件相近的十六世紀竹雕蟾蜍，見《Min Chiu Society exhibition The Radiant Ming 1368-1644》，香港歷史博物館，香港，2015年，圖錄編號188。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2021年5月26日，lot 570
價格：HKD 25,200（相當於今日
EUR 3,000
）
描述：清十八世紀竹根雕蟾蜍
專家評論：比較非常相近的主題、模型、雕刻風格，以及具有類似的斑點皮膚和疣。請注意尺寸 (6厘米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2017年5月10日，lot 15
價格：GBP 2,500（相當於今日
EUR 4,000
）
描述：清十八世紀竹根雕蟾蜍
專家評論：比較非常相近的主題、模型、雕刻風格，以及具有類似的斑點皮膚和疣。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2015年4月7日，lot 3693
價格：HKD 112,500（相當於今日
EUR 15,500
）
描述：清十八 / 十九世紀竹根雕蟾蜍
專家評論：比較非常相近的主題、模型、雕刻風格，以及具有類似的斑點皮膚和疣