A celadon jade 'Boys' cup, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong-Jiaqing Period. Photo Sotheby's

the rounded cup finely carved in openwork on the exterior with three boys supported on rockwork interspersed with flowers, one boy peering into the cup, another with his head turned sideways, and the third with his back to the washer, one hand holding the rim and the other clasping a ruyi scepter, the greenish-white stone with several whitish veins, wood stand (2). Length 5 in., 12.7 cm. Estimation 200,000 — 300,000 USD - Lot. Vendu 245,000 USD

Provenance: Bulgari Collection, Rome.
Maria Cescatti Collection, Rome.
Eskenazi Ltd., London.

Exposition: Early Chinese Metalwork in Gold and Silver: Works of Art of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Eskenazi Ltd., London, 2011, cat. no. 20.

It is rare to find cups carved with three boys, though a slightly smaller cup with two boys is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, p. 199, no. 163. See, also a twin boy handled cup with similar dating sold in these rooms, 23rd March 2004, lot 514; and another, of hexagonal form and dated to the Yuan dynasty, also sold in these rooms, 20th March 2012, lot 212.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 18 Mar 2014, 10:30 AM - www.sothebys.com