A fine white jade 'yinyang' ram carving


18th centuryThe recumbent animal exquisitely carved with its head turned backwards grasping a lingzhi stem encircling a yinyang symbol at the centre, the lustrous stone of an even white tone, wood stand. 4.5cm (1 3/4in) long. (2).
|十八世紀 白玉雕神羊吐太極飾件Provenance:Edward T. Chow (1910-1980)Sotheby's Hong Kong, 27 May 2014, lot 12Marchant, London來源：仇焱之（1910-1980）舊藏香港蘇富比，2014年5月27日，拍品編號12倫敦MarchantSee a related green jade three-ram group, Qing dynasty, also grasping a lingzhi stem with a yinyang symbol, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 9 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2010, no.143; compare with another similar white jade ram, Qianlong, carved with yinyang symbol, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 26 May 2013, lot 190.白玉質，質極白潤，圓雕臥羊，羊五官陰刻之，雙腳有節，後伏至頸，回首，羊背雕祥雲團簇太極兩儀，四肢跪伏，陰刻蹄甲。羊諧音「陽」，一陽則有則有《道德經》所言「道生一，一生二，二生三，三生太極」之化意，代表生生不息，周而復始。清宮舊藏一件青玉三陽開泰擺件以有羊吐太極的形象，見《故宮博物院藏品大系玉器篇9》，北京，2011年，編號143，頁55。還可參考一件乾隆白玉雕太極羊擺件，2013年5月26日售於香港邦瀚斯，拍品編號190。