Chinese Jade Duck, ca. 1675
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GUEST:
I know this is jade. Maybe it's from China-- it's Asian. I bought it in estate sale.
APPRAISER:
Great, and was the estate sale local or...?
GUEST:
Uh, local.
APPRAISER:
Hm. Okay-- how many years ago did you buy it?
GUEST:
Many years-- I think it's maybe ten years.
APPRAISER:
Ten years, okay.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Do you recall what you paid for it?
GUEST:
Yeah, I paid $30. $30.
APPRAISER:
You're quite right, it is jade. And you're quite right about the country of origin, too. It's carved in the manner or the form of a duck. There are two groups or two meanings to ducks.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
If there are ducks in pairs, it's a representation of marriage, fidelity, and the long duration of a happy marriage. Single ducks represent self-sufficiency, balance, and harmony. So it's likely that the, the original owner, many, many years ago, acquired this and, and had it on a tabletop or a curio box and reflected on self-sufficiency. It's likely that this was carved in the late Ming, early Qing period.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And the reason that you come to that conclusion that it's from about 1650 to the end of the century...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...is that the connoisseurs of jade and the lapidaries were quite comfortable carving white jade or pale celadon jade with highlights of russet, gray, and other imperfections. The imperfections were not really viewed as a, um, deterrent or a detracting quality from the jade. As you got a little bit later, into the 18th and 19th century...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...lapidaries and collectors really wanted pure white jade, the conduit between Heaven and Earth, without imperfection. And this is, uh, carved in an archaic style. So you can almost see archaic scrolls to the tail here, the eye, the carving to the neck. There's archaic C and S scrolls representing a look back to the past in its carving. It's also very typical of late Ming, early Qing carvings, so 17th-century carvings.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Beautiful detail to the wings, where they've been incised in relief to show feathers. A really nice quality. Also, the polish is a very matte polish, very soft polish overall.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Re, a lot of reproductions, a lot of later jades have a very high polish, a very bright polish. Do you have an idea of value?
GUEST:
Mmm, I don't know. But I, I think it's maybe at least, uh, more than $30. (laughs)
APPRAISER:
Yes. In an auction today, $10,000 to $15,000. (gasps):
GUEST:
Oh, my gosh. So I have to buy the, the lunch, uh, for my boyfriend.
(both laughing)
APPRAISER:
Well...
GUEST:
Oh, I ne, never think about it, that, that, uh, it's so much. (laughs)
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