17th Oct, 2024 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
106
A FINE AND RARE WHITE JADE ‘HEHE ERXIAN’ GROUP, 18TH CENTURY
Sold for €10,400
including Buyer's Premium
Published: S. Bernstein & Co., Chinese Jade the Immortal Stone. The Robert A. & Elizabeth Cookson Collection, San Fransico, 2009, no. 67. Described as “Group of two immortals, eighteenth century.”
China. Deftly and intricately carved to depict the twin immortals, one seated on rockwork holding a lotus pod while the other stands carrying a floral box, the pair with smiling expressions and dressed in loose robes, above an exquisitely detailed base of forcefully crashing waves and dense lotus, a small frog resting on an upturned lotus leaf near the center. The stone is of an even white color.
Provenance: The Robert A. and Elizabeth Cookson Collection. S. Bernstein & Co., San Francisco, 2009. A private collection in New York, United States, acquired from the above. Robert ‘Bob’ Cookson (1922-2008) studied at Stanford University and later joined the family business for manufacturing industrial doors in San Francisco, working for The Cookson Company until his retirement in 1985. However, he was best known for his involvement in tennis, eventually serving as the president of the United States Tennis Association. His other passion was collecting Chinese jades, especially of the brilliant white variety, which he assembled throughout his life together with his wife Betty (d. 2022), a tennis player and National Gold Slam Champion. Their collection was published by internationally recognized Chinese art dealer Sam Bernstein in ‘Chinese Jade the Immortal Stone. The Robert A. & Elizabeth Cookson Collection’ in 2009. According to Bernstein, their collection is “a rich treasure trove of material for future scholars to study and collectors to admire”.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and few tiny natural inclusions.
Weight: 278.6 g
Dimensions: Height 9.5 cm
Hehe Erxian, also known as the 'Two Immortals of Harmony and Union', are traditionally believed to be associated with a long, happy marriage. The two Daoist Immortals originated from famous poet-monks of the Tang dynasty (618-907), Hanshan and Shide. In the late Ming dynasty they began to be depicted holding a lotus and a box. The typical iconography of the boys holding a lotus and a box forms the same homophone of he, meaning 'harmony' and 'union' respectively. In 1733, the Yongzheng emperor decreed that they should be known as 'saints of harmony and unity.'
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 November 2023, lot 959
Price: HKD 179,200 or approx. EUR 22,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A white jade ‘Hehe Erxian’ boulder, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and color of the jade. Note the size (13.1 cm).
Published: S. Bernstein & Co., Chinese Jade the Immortal Stone. The Robert A. & Elizabeth Cookson Collection, San Fransico, 2009, no. 67. Described as “Group of two immortals, eighteenth century.”
China. Deftly and intricately carved to depict the twin immortals, one seated on rockwork holding a lotus pod while the other stands carrying a floral box, the pair with smiling expressions and dressed in loose robes, above an exquisitely detailed base of forcefully crashing waves and dense lotus, a small frog resting on an upturned lotus leaf near the center. The stone is of an even white color.
Provenance: The Robert A. and Elizabeth Cookson Collection. S. Bernstein & Co., San Francisco, 2009. A private collection in New York, United States, acquired from the above. Robert ‘Bob’ Cookson (1922-2008) studied at Stanford University and later joined the family business for manufacturing industrial doors in San Francisco, working for The Cookson Company until his retirement in 1985. However, he was best known for his involvement in tennis, eventually serving as the president of the United States Tennis Association. His other passion was collecting Chinese jades, especially of the brilliant white variety, which he assembled throughout his life together with his wife Betty (d. 2022), a tennis player and National Gold Slam Champion. Their collection was published by internationally recognized Chinese art dealer Sam Bernstein in ‘Chinese Jade the Immortal Stone. The Robert A. & Elizabeth Cookson Collection’ in 2009. According to Bernstein, their collection is “a rich treasure trove of material for future scholars to study and collectors to admire”.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and few tiny natural inclusions.
Weight: 278.6 g
Dimensions: Height 9.5 cm
Hehe Erxian, also known as the 'Two Immortals of Harmony and Union', are traditionally believed to be associated with a long, happy marriage. The two Daoist Immortals originated from famous poet-monks of the Tang dynasty (618-907), Hanshan and Shide. In the late Ming dynasty they began to be depicted holding a lotus and a box. The typical iconography of the boys holding a lotus and a box forms the same homophone of he, meaning 'harmony' and 'union' respectively. In 1733, the Yongzheng emperor decreed that they should be known as 'saints of harmony and unity.'
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 November 2023, lot 959
Price: HKD 179,200 or approx. EUR 22,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A white jade ‘Hehe Erxian’ boulder, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, manner of carving, and color of the jade. Note the size (13.1 cm).
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