A fine pair of pale green jade 'elephant and Baijixiang' belt plaques


18th centuryOf oval form, each carved relief with a caparisoned elephant turning its head to one side while carrying a vase containing precious objects, each surrounded by four of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, the stone of an even pale tone. Each 8.5cm (3 1/3in) wide. (2).
|十八世紀 青玉雕寶象八寶紋帶飾一對Provenance: The Curi family, South AmericaA South American private collectionMarchant, London來源：南美Curi家族舊藏南美私人收藏倫敦MarchantThe Eight Auspicious Emblems known as Ashtamangala and Baijixiang came into China with the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism and became part of the decorative arts for the imperial court following the Qianlong emperor's dedication to the Tibetan Buddhism.青玉質，質地沉靜瑩潤，面浮雕寶象一隻，每面之象各左右回首相望而成一對，象身在浮雕淺刻瓔珞掛單，皮褶毛髮之細節，宛然如生，象身周圍環繞佛教四寶，每面各四組成八寶，有寶瓶、寶蓋、雙魚、蓮花、右旋螺、吉祥結、尊勝幢、法輪，雕彩帶連接。背面光素，邊緣細鉆小穿孔，為針線連綴之處。佛教八寶又稱八吉祥，是藏傳佛教最常見的紋飾之一，乾隆帝篤信藏密，宮廷造物常以為飾。