A FINELY CARVED WHITE AND RUSSET JADE FIGURE OF 'SUN SIMIAO', 'KING OF MEDICINE'
SONG DYNASTY (960-1279)

L 6.5 cm (2 1/2 in) T 1.5 cm (5/8 in)

Provenance: A London collection

Reference: 1. The figure of Sun Simiao is crafted with silkworm-shaped eyebrows and phoenix eyes in smooth, clear recessed lines. The features are also seen on a few jade human figures that date from the Tang to the Song dynasties. A jade figure of Child of Wealth from the Five dynasties, kept in the Archaeology Institute of Zhejiang Province, is one example and is illustrated in ANCIENT JADE OF HANGZHOU, by Li Hai, Hangzhou History Museum, Cultural Relics Publishing House, Beijing, 2003, p.107, no.110 2. The figure in gentry clothing wears a topknot with a crown and a left-to-right hair stick. He also keeps a moustache and a long goatee. The overall style resembles that of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty depicted in a renowned painting called Ting Qin Tu (Listening to the Qin). Refer to TING QIN TU, by Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), the Northern Song dynasty, kept in the Palace Museum, Beijing 3. The figure wears a topknot held in place with a hair stick and a crown. The crown may be categorized as a type of shu fa guan that prevailed during the Song dynasty. Shu fa guan were available in many designs, which are illustrated in DA SONG YI GUAN TU SHUO SONG REN FU SHI, by Fu Boxing, Shanghai Ancient Works Publishing House, Shanghai, 2016, p.24

ESTIMATE: HKD 150,000 / RMB 132,000