Vaas - Carnelian agate - China - Qing Dynastie (1644-1911) -

A fine Chinese red carnelian agate ‘tree trunk’ vase or washer.
Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century.
Cleverly hollowed out and carved in relief as a section of a tree trunk, the exterior with gnarled leafy tree branches issuing peaches, flanked by two lingzhi and a bat flying in upward motion.
Symbolism:
Bat (fu ), peach (tao ), and fungus (lingzhi ) combined make a rebus: “May your heart be filled with intelligence when blessings arrive” (fuzhi xinling ). The saying literally means “May you be inspired when blessings arrive.” In this instance, the peach has a cleft, giving it a heart-shaped (xin ) appearance. Thus the peach symbolizes a person’s heart. The fungus (lingzhi ) is a pun for “intelligence” (ling ).
Note:
The heart symbolization is emphasized by the overall carving which, besides depicting a tree trunk, also closely resembles the human heart-shape, adding a different layer to the overall quality of the piece. The symbolism is especially expressed when held against the light (see photo 2 and 7) whereby the natural veining and inclusions of the stone become beautifully visible.
Dimensions:
Height 7.8 cm, width 9.5 cm, depth 5.5 cm.
Condition:
A small chip to the base rim and one peach broken off.
Ref:
Compare with other carvings bearing close resemblance, but of red and white agate:
National Palace Museum Taipei, image number K1D000778N000000000PAB
The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, accession Number: 02.18.868
Sotheby’s New York, 28 September 2021, lot 846
Christie’s New York, 23-24 Mar 2023, lot 1284
Bonhams London, 23 September 2015, lot 269
Links:
https://digitalarchive.npm.gov.tw/opendata/Pub/EngVersion
https://digitalarchive.npm.gov.tw/opendata
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44261?exhibitionId=%7B2f456a55-47bf-4b5f-98bc-72e146a1d034%7D&oid=44261&pkgids=363&pg=0&rpp=20&pos=16&ft=*&offset=20&locale=en
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/42143?exhibitionId=%7B2f456a55-47bf-4b5f-98bc-72e146a1d034%7D&oid=42143&pkgids=363&pg=0&rpp=20&pos=49&ft=*&offset=20&locale=en
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hard/hd_hard.htm
https://searchcollection.asianart.org/objects/6640/fungus-lily-persimmons-and-oval-box?ctx=279804b8a624ae7ee5e64a608272f8bb3bd6db93&idx=5
https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24077/lot/270/a-very-fine-carnelian-agate-auspicious-fruits-vase-18th-century-3/
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6414008
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/china-5000-years-10/a-carved-carnelian-agate-plum-flower-vase-qing
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/in-the-studio-asian-art-featuring-works-from-the-collection-of-bruce-dayton-and-ruth-stricker-dayton/a-carved-white-and-red-agate-peach-vase-qing
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