Lot 43. A miniature jade figure of boddhisatva, Song-Ming dynasty; 3.2cm high. Sold for US$63,375 (Estimate US$7,000 - 9,000). © Bonhams 2001-2023

Carved in the round, the deity seated in the 'lotus' position wearing a long robe with flaring sleeves behind elbows, his hair drawn high into a topknot, the base polished flat, pierced through the hands, the head, and base for stringing and attachment, the white jade with mottled areas finely polished.

Provenance: Antiquarium, Ltd., New York, 2008.

Note: It is very rare to see miniature jade carving with such elegant details and expressive movement. The details of the seated bodhisattva are finely rendered and polished. The small drill holes are done discreetly and do not compromise the integrity of the sculpture. The facial feature of "八"-shaped eyebrows and low-relief ears may suggest a Song dynasty attribution, as discussed in the case of a Yuan dynasty jade 'boy with lotus' pendant, illustrated in Jade Wares of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing Unearthed from Shanghai, Shanghai, 2001, p. 37, no. 20.

Attribution for jade carving of figures is very challenging because securely datable examples are scarce. Compare the jade figure of bodhisattva mounted with gold wires and gold lotus base, which may suggest the function of the present example, unearthed from Ming dynasty tombs of the Lu family in Lujiazui, New Pudong district, Shanghai, illustrated in the same volume, op. cit., pp. 174-175, no. 118, described by the author as the finial of a hair pin.

Bonhams. J. J. Lally & Co. Fine Chinese Works of Art, New York, March 20, 2023