A very fine pale green jade mountain carved with Shoulao, 17th/18th century

The impressive stone skillfully carved with a young acolyte bowing down in reverence, offering a tray laid with the Three Abundances, peach, pomegranate and finger citron, to Shoulao, God of Longevity, standing before a spotted deer, the Immortal holding in his right hand a gnarled staff with a scroll tied at its end and supporting a ruyi sceptre in his left hand, his head carved with a prominent cranium and incised beard, wearing long flowing robes tied at the waist, all standing beside a gushing stream with lingzhi and pine growing at its banks, below the rocky cliffs carved with a short poem entitled Yuti Huafeng san zhu tu (Imperially inscribed for the scene of Huafeng san zhu), the reverse carved with a lingzhi fungus spray amidst the craggy mountain, the stone of pale green tone with russet inclusions.
21.5cm (8½in) high. Estimate: £50,000 - 70,000 - Unsold

Note: The poem is entitled Yuti Huafeng san zhu (Imperially inscribed for the scene of Huafeng san zhu) reading:

Fengren san zhu Di Yao ci
[Gu] shi chun ju qing jin zhi
Zhong shi qin xi wu suo qi
Chen qun mei song bu wang gui

Huafeng san zhu alludes to three wishes from the people of Huafeng extended to the legendary Emperor Yao, wishing longevity, prosperity and having many offspring. These wishes are portrayed in the present lot by the 'Three Abundances': peach, finger citron and pomegranate, offered by the acolyte to Shoulao. Emperor Yao, one of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors, symbolised the perfect sage ruler, setting the example for benevolence and diligence for future emperors.

Late 17th or early 18th century jade boulders of this size are rare as uninterrupted access to the source of this nephrite material in Khotan was only achieved during the conquests of the Qianlong Emperor in Northwestern China in 1755-1759.

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Art, 14 May 2009. New Bond Street www.bonhams.com