A WHITE JADE ‘ABSTINENCE’ PLAQUE, LATE QING DYNASTY
China, 19th century. The pendant carved and pierced on each side with two confronting kui dragons forming an archaistic scroll that frames the rectangular cartouche at the center. One side with two characters reading ‘zhai jie’ (abstinence) in Chinese and the other similarly inscribed with the same text in Manchu script. The stone of a good white tone with a few russet inclusions and some dark spots.


Provenance
: Scottish trade.

Condition
: Excellent condition with minor wear.

Weight: 46.8 g
Dimensions: Length 6.5 cm (the plaque excl. tassels)

With buff strings suspending two tassels, one of cream and the other of lime-green color. These probably date from the earlier 20th century.


Small

abstinence plaques
, inscribed with characters in Mandarin and Manchu meaning ‘abstinence’, were a physical sign of the ceremonial requirement for abstinence before the worship of ancestors, the Heavens, or other deities. The required abstinence involved refraining from eating meat and fragrant herbs such as onions, chives and garlic, consuming alcohol, and from any intimate acts, and usually lasted for three days. Abstinence plaques were made in various materials, including jade, bamboo, painted enamel, and porcelain.


Devotional in origin,
the small plaque would have functioned as a private aide-memoire to the wearer to abstain from earthly pleasures but became in itself a thing of beauty to be admired publicly and to enhance the status of the wearer.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2014, lot 1281
Price: USD 30,000 or approx.
EUR 35,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A white jade ‘abstinence’ plaque, Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related form and manner of carving as well as the closely related inscriptions. Note the smaller size (4.4 cm).



清末白玉齋戒牌

中國，十九世紀。玉牌長方形，四邊鏤空雕刻，上面雕刻有兩條相對的夔龍。一面中央長方開光，内刻有“齋戒”二字。另一面刻有相同的滿文。白玉帶有一些黃褐色內沁和一些黑點，整體古樸瑩潤。


來源：
蘇格蘭古玩交易

品相：
狀況良好，有輕微磨損。

重量：46.8 克
尺寸：長 6.5 厘米 (不含流蘇)

淺黃色的繩子懸掛著兩根流蘇，一根是奶油色，另一根是檸檬綠色，可能來自是二十世紀初。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2014年9月19日，lot 1281
價格：USD 30,000（相當於今日
EUR 35,500
）
描述：清代白玉刻齋戒佩
專家評論：比較相近的外形、雕刻風格，以及非常相近的款識。請注意尺寸較小(4.4厘米)。