A white and russet jade 'Sanyang' carving


Song/Ming DynastySkilfully carved as a continuous group of three rams arranged in a graduating-size order, with the smallest lamb feeding from the ewe, each with well defined legs alongside the rounded body or tucked underneath, the stone of translucent white tone with russet inclusions, box. 5.1cm (2in) long (2).
|宋/明 白玉雕三羊Provenance:Durwin Tang Collection來源：鄧德雍收藏The image of the sheep or ram, yang 羊, appeared as early as the Han dynasty as a pun for xiang 祥, meaning auspicious or lucky. This association of the sheep has evolved, becoming heavily associated with yang 陽, meaning the sun, and the warm, positive or masculine force in Chinese cosmology. The sheep imagery then developed into three sheep, sanyang 三羊, often with three boys sanyang 三陽, as a reference to the favourable arrival of spring, since the phrase sanyang kaitai 三陽開泰, refers to the period between the winter solstice and the New Year. This is the period when the warm yang energy is said to emerge, as detailed in the ancient Chinese classic Yijing ('Book of Changes').Compare with a related greenish-white and russet jade 'ram and young' group, Song/ Yuan dynasty, illustrated by J.C.Y.Watt, Chinese Jades from the Han to the Ch'ing, New York, 1980, no.35. See also a related yellowish-green and russet jade ram, and another whitish-grey jade ram, both Song dynasty, illustrated by G.Tsang, Chinese Jade Animals, Hong Kong, 1996, nos.92 and 94.「三羊開泰」的典故源自《易經》「三陽生於泰卦」之說，而泰卦為正月，「羊」又與「陽」同音，故而歲首常稱為「三羊開泰」。又，清代段玉裁《說文解字注》曰：「羊，祥也」，因此羊本身便是祥瑞之獸。玉雕常有三羊的組合，便是這一吉語的體現。可比較一件宋或元代之青白玉三羊雕件，見屈志仁著，《Chinese Jades from the Han to the Ch'ing》，紐約，1980年，編號35；另可比較香港藝術館展出之一件青黃玉羊及一件灰白玉羊，見《中國肖生玉雕》，香港，1996年，編號92及94。