A CHINESE PALE CELADON JADE 'DRAGON' SCROLL WEIGHT

A CHINESE PALE CELADON JADE 'DRAGON' SCROLL WEIGHT
18TH CENTURY

The long rectangular slab worked with curved ends, carved in relief with two scaly dragons contesting a flaming pearl, one beast emerges dramatically from crashing waves whilst the other descends from the sky above, each sinuous creature depicted with two horns and long whiskers, the pale creamy stone with a fine polish, 23.8cm.

Provenance: formerly the collection of Vice-Admiral Sir George John Scott Warrender of Lochend 7th Bt (1860-1917), who fought in the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 and when by repute acquired this jade; and then the Lawrence Collection of jades and hardstone carvings, purchased from Spink & Son prior to 1959.

The imagery of two dragons contesting a pearl is known in Chinese as er long xi zhu. An interpretation of this motif is that one dragon is male whilst the other is female, and the jewel is their egg. The symbolism is thus associated with harmony and reproduction. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, this image was frequently used as decoration on objects belonging to ladies of the court, and so it is possible this scroll weight previously belonged to an Imperial concubine.

Cf. B Bronson & C Ho, Splendors of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, p.86, no.88 for a similar piece; see also The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (III), p.213, no.173 for a comparable item; see also The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (II), p.240, no.200 for another related example.

十八世紀 青白玉浮雕趕珠龍紋鎮紙

來源：George John Scott Warrender of Lochend上將(1860-1917)， 曾經在1900年參加過太平天國戰爭。勞倫斯珍藏玉石，1959年前購於Spink & Son。