A GRAY AND BLACK JADE ‘CAT AND YOUNG’ GROUP, CHINA, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Meticulously and cleverly carved incorporating the natural veins and colors of the partially translucent mineral to playfully depict a recumbent cat and its cub nuzzling cheek to cheek, a small flower and stem resting between the two, the adult with one paw placed on its young. The fur is well detailed with fine incision work and there are several pierced sections between the cats’ bodies for suspension as a pendant. The partly translucent stone of a pale gray color with black shadings, specks, and veins as well as cloudy inclusions.


Provenance:
From an old European private collection, assembled before 2000 (by family repute), and thence by descent.

Condition:
Very good condition with minimal wear and few minuscule nibbles. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.

Weight: 69.4 g
Dimensions: Length 4.8 cm


The cat is a symbol of longevity
, as the Chinese word for 'cat' (mao) is homophonous with the poetic, yet arcane, Chinese word for 'eighty to ninety' (mao). The playful kitten also suggests that longevity is accompanied by offspring to continue the family line.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2016, lot 125
Price: HKD 200,000 or approx.
EUR 27,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A white jade ‘double cats and butterfly’ group, Qing dynasty, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving with similarly incised fur. Note the white and russet color as well as the addition of a butterfly.




十七至十八世紀灰黑玉雕貓戲擺件

巧妙利用半透明玉料自然紋理和顏色雕刻一隻臥貓和其幼崽，兩貓之間有一朵小花。大貓將一隻爪子放在幼貓身上。皮毛刻畫精細，貓的身體之間有幾個穿孔，可作為吊墜懸掛。 局部半透明淺灰色石料，帶有黑色陰影、斑點、紋理以及內沁。


來源：
歐洲私人收藏，據家庭成員所述，購於2000年前，保存至今。

品相：
狀況極好，輕微磨損，有細微磕損。玉料有天然絮狀物和紋理，其中一些可能發展成細小裂紋。

重量：69.4 克
尺寸：長4.8 釐米


貓是長壽的象徵
，因為中文裡“貓”與“耄”同音，意思是八十至九十歲之間。頑皮的小貓也寓意子孫綿延。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2016年11月30日，lot 125
價格：HKD 200,000（相當於今日
EUR 27,000
）
描述：清十八世紀白玉耄耋把件
專家評論：比較非常相近的雕刻風格。請注意白玉留皮玉石顏色，以及有另一隻蝴蝶。