Beschreibung:

China. The water buffalo is intricately carved with the head turned to one side, the legs tucked under the body, and the finely incised tail swept to one side. The head with almond-shaped eyes, funnel-shaped ears, and elegantly curved horns. The partly translucent stone is of a mottled gray color ranging from creamy celadon and russet to pale and dark grays, with veining and white clouds. Provenance: From the collection of Erwin Scharf and thence by descent within the same family. Erwin Scharf (1904-1978) emigrated from Germany to Great Britain to escape Nazi persecution. He graduated from the University of Leipzig with a doctorate in law but never practiced, instead going into the family business, the audio equipment company Goldring, which was founded in 1906 and moved to England in 1933. His brother Dr. Alfred Scharf was an art historian, and it was he who encouraged Erwin’s interest in art. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and few small nicks. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Weight: 2,280 g Dimensions: Length 19.5 cm With a fitted and openworked Chinese hardwood base, dating from around 1900. (2) Jade carvings of buffalos have traditionally been greatly prized in China. The Asiatic ox or buffalo is one of the twelve horary animals representing Chou, the second of the twelve branches of the Chinese calendrical system. Buffaloes are associated with strength, prosperity, and tranquility in China, in part because of their role in farming and the production of food. In addition, the romanticized view of the buffalo had resonance for Chan Buddhists and Daoists alike, suggesting retreat into a tranquil rural life, away from the cities and the responsibilities of public office. Literature comparison: For a related jade buffalo dated to the Qing dynasty, see Jade: Ch'ing Dynasty Treasures, Taipei, 1997, no. 151. A larger, green jade buffalo, dated to the Qianlong period, is also illustrated in The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, London, 2003, no. 99. Compare a related jade water buffalo, dated to the 18th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 36.121. Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related mottled gray jade figure of a buffalo, also dated 17th-18th century, of smaller size (14 cm long), at Christie’s London, in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, on 8 November 2016, lot 6, sold for GBP 60,000. 十七至十八世紀灰玉水牛擺件 中國。水牛刻畫生動，頭轉向一側，腿夾在身下，尾巴向一側掃去。杏仁狀的大眼睛、漏斗狀的耳朵和彎曲的角。局部半透明的玉料呈斑駁的灰色，夾雜這青色和赤褐色到淺灰色和深灰色，紋理不一，白色絮狀物。 來源：Erwin Scharf 私人收藏，保存於一家族至今。Erwin Scharf (1904-1978) 為逃避納粹迫害從德國移民到英國。他畢業於德國萊比錫大學，獲得法學博士學位后進入家族企業，音像設備公司 Goldring，該公司成立於 1906 年，并於1933 年轉去英國。他的兄弟 Alfred Scharf 博士是一位藝術史學家，正是他激發了Erwin對藝術的興趣。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和小劃痕。帶有天然脈理的玉料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些可能會發展成細小的裂縫。 重量：2,280 克 尺寸：長19.5 厘米 硬木鏤空雕刻木盒，可能來自1900年前後。 (2) 玉雕水牛擺件在中國歷來備受推崇。牛是十二生肖中的第二位。在中國，牛象徵著力量、繁榮和安寧，部分原因是它們在農業和食品生產中的作用。此外，水牛在禪宗和道家中象徵著隱士，退隱到寧靜的鄉村生活。 文獻比較：一件清代玉雕水牛，見 see Jade: Ch'ing Dynasty Treasures, Taipei, 1997, no. 151；一件乾隆碧玉水牛見 The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, London, 2003, no. 99. 一件相近的十八世紀玉水牛見紐約大都會博物館，編號 36.121。 拍賣結果比較：一件相近十七至十八世紀灰玉水牛 (長14 厘米) 見倫敦佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2016年11月 8日 lot 6, 售價GBP 60,000。