Beyond words, people in ancient China gave the jades they carried everyday to their love ones as keepsakes when the time of departure came. With all the carvings and motifs, jades express meanings and emotions in a subtle, yet rich way.

The melon jade carving presented in Christie's New York sale on Chinese ceramics and works of art in mid-March, tactfully delivers heartful blessings and regards with excellent craftmenship. With smooth patina, it is well carved as a lobed melon borne on a leafy, flowering vine that trails down one side and bears a smaller melon of enhaced green colour. It is packed in a delicate zitan box with blue satin. Inside the box cover, it writes, "mian mian gua die" (綿綿瓜瓞), which comes from Shi Jing (詩經, the book of odes and hymns), meaning "be fruitful and multiply" like a profusion of gourds.

A bronze phoenix-form ewer and a famille rose vase with deer motifs are also the highlights of the sale.

Sale Details

Auction House: Christie's New York
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Arts
Sale No.: 12900
Lot No.: 289
Viewing:
2017/3/10-15  10am-5pm
2017/3/12  1pm-5pm
Sale Time: 
Session 1 | 2017/3/17  10pm
Session 2 | 2017/3/17  2pm

Top Lots

AN UNUSUAL JADE CARVING OF A MELON AND AN IMPERIAL ZITAN BOX AND COVER, 18TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 1078
Size: 8.5cm (jade), 12cm (box)
Estimation: US$400,000-600,000

A VERY RARE SMALL BRONZE PHOENIX-FORM EWER, LATE WESTERN-EARLY EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, 8TH-7TH CENTURY BC

Lot No.: 1017
Size: 15.2cm
Estimation: US$300,000-500,000

A VERY RARE FAMILLE ROSE ‘HUNDRED DEER’ VASE, QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Lot No.: 1237
Size: 44.5cm
Estimation: US$300,000-500,000