M5276
Description
A large Chinese spinach jade carving of a recumbent buffalo, with his head raised, with skilfully ridged horns, folded-back ears and naturalistically carved nostrils, the spine superbly carved with raised nape, with fat from his neck resting on his front left flank, the hooves all tucked underneath, with detailed hairwork to the tail.
Fitted wood stand, the top portion probably original 18th century, carved as rockwork and grass.
Qianlong, 1736-1795.
7 3/4 inches, 19.8 cm long
Condition
Available on request
Provenance & Additional Information
- Formerly in the collection of Prince Yixin, Beijing (1833-1898). Prince Yixin, also known as Prince Gong, was an imperial prince of the Aisin Goro clan, the sixth son of the emperor Daoguang and an important statesman of the Qing dynasty. He was regent of the empire from 1861-1865 and held great influence throughout his life. Prince Yixin amassed a vast collection of Chinese works of art between 1852-1898. On his death, his collection passed down to his grandson Prince Puwei (1880-1936), the second Prince Gong. As the Qing dynasty collapsed, Prince Puwei sold the collection to the prominent Japanese gallery Yamanaka & Co, who had galleries in Paris, London and New York. Although Yamanaka & Co sold many pieces from the collection privately, in 1913 they decided to sell a large part of Prince Yixin’s collection at auction with the American Art Association in New York and Christie’s in London.
- Formerly in the collection of Edward R. Bacon, New York (1848-1915). Edward R. Bacon was a prominent financier, lawyer and president of railroads. He began collecting old master paintings and Chinese art 25 years prior to his death, amassing a substantial and important collection.
- Published and illustrated by John Getz in Catalogue of Chinese Art Objects, Including Porcelains, Potteries, Jades, Bronzes, and Cloisonné Enamels, Collected by Edward R. Bacon, New York, privately printed for Virginia P. Bacon, May 1919, no.454, p.239, XLVIII.
- Sold by E & J Frankel, New York City, USA 1992.
- Formerly in an important private collection, New York City, USA.
- Included by Stuart Marchant in Marchant – One Hundred Years, Volume II: 2001-2005, no. 1990, p. 491.
- A related spinach buffalo in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England, is illustrated by James C.S. Lin in The Immortal Stone,no. 36, p. 49, and front cover; another spinach jade buffalo of similar stone from the collection of Sackville George Pellam, 5th Earl of Yarborough, and purchased from John Sparks, 24th June 1938, was sold by Wooley & Wallis in their auction of Asian Art, 20th May 2009, lot 388, also front cover, together with its imperial gilt metal stand.
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