A fine very pale green jade carving of an elephant and boys, Qianlong. Photo: Bonhams

The stone of exceptional purity and carved as a charmingly wrinkled elephant with curling trunk, its head turned to the left being groomed by two boys perching either side of a spreading vessel containing a flaming pearl, a fruit and a branch of coral while another boy crouches behind with a stick raised to tickle the beast's ear, the elephant covered with a richly patterned tasselled saddlecloth incised with bats flying amid cloud scrolls and waves. 8.7cm (3 3/8in) high. Estimate £15,000 - 20,000 (€18,000 - 25,000)

Provenance: an English private collection, acquired by the father of the current owner

Notes: A boy riding on an elephant, 騎象 qixiang, is a pun for 'May there be good fortune', 吉祥 jixiang.

Compare a slightly smaller carving of an elephant being groomed by two boys illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 9: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, no.136.

A celadon and russet jade carving of elephant and boys is illustrated by R.Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, no.170 and subsequently sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1562. See also a white jade carving of an elephant and boys, sold at Christie's London, 14 May 2013, lot 81, and a related pale green jade carving of elephant and boys sold in these rooms, 8 November 2012, lot 5.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street, 15 May 2014 - http://www.bonhams.com/