MOUNTAIN GROTTO WITH THREE LEVELS OF FIGURES.

20th century, China. Nephrite: light greenish-gray with deeply weathered brown rind. A pebble-form boulder with an off-center orientation, this work is deeply carved, with a path above the lapping waves at the base leading attendants with offerings past the cliff face and (it is implied) into the internal cave regions which are revealed on two upper levels. On the middle level, a seated gentleman contentedly plays a sheng, and on the upper level, two elders stand in front of a hut and glance down over the scenes below. The cave areas are deep and as they retreat into the boulder, the color darkens as it would naturally in such retreats. Stretching across the surface are cliff faces and pine branches, connecting one side of the scene with another, and it appears as though a cloth “skin” had been tightly wrapped around the work. The technical facility with which the tension of the linking elements and outer “skin” has been achieved is astonishing, and reflects the new technology available to modern workshops. A cave is “…an entrance to the transcendental world” in Chinese thought (Munakata, p. 148) and as such is prominently featured in both Buddhist and Daoist art. The mysterious passages, with the end hidden from the viewer’s eye, lead to the paradise of the Immortals. The reverse of this boulder portrays a water flow emerging at the base and a steep path rising up to a temple level beyond which there are a series of openings to the dongtian. The pine, the rocks, the water, and the caves and grottoes convey messages of virtue and longevity, and the “exaggerated realism” (Lytle, pp. 36-7) with which they are expressed here is both typical of very late jade works (Ip, p. 268, #240) and of the Qing paintings which served as their model (Munakata, p. 101). Reference: The Yangtze River Collection, Later Chinese Jades published by Helga Wall-Apelt, 1993. SIZE: 7.88″ x 5.25″ x 2.25″ (20 x 13.3 x 5.7 cm.) CONDITION: Deeply carved example with light natural pitting. Very good. 9-95077 (8,000-10,000) – Lot 48

Auction: FAAA - Wall-Apelt Collection - March 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	48	$0.00	MOUNTAIN GROTTO WITH THREE LEVELS OF FIGURES. 20th century, China. Nephrite: light greenish-gray with deeply weathered brown rind. A pebble-form boulder with an off-center orientation, this work is deeply carved, with a path above the lapping waves at the base leading attendants with offerings past the cliff face and (it is implied) into the internal cave regions which are revealed on two upper levels. On the middle level, a seated gentleman contentedly plays a sheng, and on the upper level, two elders stand in front of a hut and glance down over the scenes below. The cave areas are deep and as they retreat into the boulder, the color darkens as it would naturally in such retreats. Stretching across the surface are cliff faces and pine branches, connecting one side of the scene with another, and it appears as though a cloth “skin” had been tightly wrapped around the work. The technical facility with which the tension of the linking elements and outer “skin” has been achieved is astonishing, and reflects the new technology available to modern workshops. A cave is “…an entrance to the transcendental world” in Chinese thought (Munakata, p. 148) and as such is prominently featured in both Buddhist and Daoist art. The mysterious passages, with the end hidden from the viewer’s eye, lead to the paradise of the Immortals. The reverse of this boulder portrays a water flow emerging at the base and a steep path rising up to a temple level beyond which there are a series of openings to the dongtian. The pine, the rocks, the water, and the caves and grottoes convey messages of virtue and longevity, and the “exaggerated realism” (Lytle, pp. 36-7) with which they are expressed here is both typical of very late jade works (Ip, p. 268, #240) and of the Qing paintings which served as their model (Munakata, p. 101). Reference: The Yangtze River Collection, Later Chinese Jades published by Helga Wall-Apelt, 1993. SIZE: 7.88″ x 5.25″ x 2.25″ (20 x 13.3 x 5.7 cm.) CONDITION: Deeply carved example with light natural pitting. Very good. 9-95077 (8,000-10,000) – Lot 48 Auction: FAAA - Wall-Apelt Collection - March 2015 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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MOUNTAIN GROTTO WITH THREE LEVELS OF FIGURES.