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Beautiful Jade Carving Unknown Animal

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    Posted 11 years ago

    stwillia76
    (137 items)

    Hello. I have this wonderful piece of carved jade. It is approximately 2"x 1/2". It depicts some kind of animal possibly in a grape vine or fruit tree. What kind of animal is it? Red Panda? Is it Japanese or Chinese? Is it a pendant or something else? I just dont know. There are no marks. It weight approximately 38 grams.

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    Comments

    1. Moonstonelover21 Moonstonelover21, 11 years ago
      I think its a mouse or rat? Very nice
    2. Gracay2004 Gracay2004, 11 years ago
      It looks like an aye aye to me (a type of lemur).
    3. cogito cogito, 11 years ago
      It is a mouse or a rat feasting on lotus berries. It's the right size to possibly be a netsuke. Might explain the breakage on the back, as well as discoloration at the bottom.
    4. shrine shrine, 11 years ago
      Well it's a typical chinese motif called "grape stealing squirrel". It is jade usually overpriced to ripoff.
    5. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 11 years ago
      It looks like a little mouse on grapes. Nicely carved. Love it.
    6. shrine shrine, 11 years ago
      Hi vintagefran, there is a real Qing antique, check up yourself. I could assure you that animal meant to be a squirrel.

      http://bbscache.artron.net/forum/201306/20/094801v85pyxnxvzvhdnsh.jpg
    7. Stillwater Stillwater, 11 years ago
      Its not a netsuke, the color is because its hetian jade
    8. shrine shrine, 11 years ago
      Hi Stillwater, it's unlikely to be a hetian jade but another kind of jade from Russia. The Russian jade has been widely used in China to mimic hetian jade.
    9. Stillwater Stillwater, 11 years ago
      I'm not a jade expert, does Russian jade typically have the rust color? I Googled it and every piece was perfectly white.

      So, you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about Asian arts, what do you think of my meiping vase?

      http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/115210-enormous-meiping-vase-new-photos
    10. stwillia76 stwillia76, 11 years ago
      I'm not a jade expert. I will tell you this. I got this piece and many other pieces from an estate in Florida. The gentleman seemed to be a jeweler. I have another nice jade pendant as well as a few signed ivory pieces. I really don't think its fake. I have had an offer of $3500 for the piece. Is Russian jade expensive?
      Isn't this piece much like this one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/An-important-18th-century-Chinese-carved-jade-pendant-/111290643110?pt=UK_Antiques_Asian_Oriental_Antiques_ET&hash=item19e97072a6
    11. shrine shrine, 11 years ago
      Hi Stillwater, I am not a jade expert and even a jade expert can't guarantee you anything just by looking at the pics. However there are some common senses towards jade collection worth to know.

      for example, your question about the "rust color". The fact is this color are not from rusting or anything related. It's called the "skin" of jade. Very long story into Jade culture, put it simple, "He-tian" is a small town in north west China, close to the border with Russia. The best Hetian jade meant to be found in a particular seasonal river through vast outback. Namely, river pebbles. The "rust" is the pebble skin and the inner white part is called jade meat.

      Hope I helped.
    12. shrine shrine, 11 years ago
      Hi, stwillia76, I beg your pardon if I somehow offended you. I want to stay frank and tell my opinion. Take it as a suggestion only.

      If you've read my reply to stillwater, you may find Russia is not far from the place where Hetian jade is from. In fact, both of them from the Kunlun Mountains across the border. They are substantially the same minerals but differ in elemental proportion. The jade digging in Hetian has lasted more than 1 thousand years and it seems to hit the dead end now days. So people in need turned their eye to former Russian countries, and Russian jade popped in around 70s last century. Similar quality? Yes. Similar price? No. I suppose the Russian jade price would catch up as Hetian jade gradually cease to be found, however it's currently 1/3 of the Hetian.

      Ok, knowing the fact above, an easy thought is any new jade piece later than 70s is likely to be a Russian jade as they out numbered Hetian in circulation since 80s. And for your jade, how old/young you think it is?

      I checked the Jade item you pointed me to, it's a celadon Hetian jade in my opinion. Nevertheless, steer clear from this ebay dealer as it's likely to be a replica of Qing antique. I can't exert my 40x magnifier on his jade, but the patina is very suspicious. Just check his ebay transaction history, and ask yourself how many old jade artifacts could be sourced by an ebay jade dealer.



    13. shrine shrine, 11 years ago
      Sorry Stillwater, I re-read my comments again and found I did not properly addressed your question. The rust color doesn't suggest it's a Russian or Hetian but it could be an indicator for "Zi Jade". The jade found in river as pebbles called "Zi Jade" means "Berry Jade". Those found in mountains called "Shan Jade" or "Mountain Jade". Mountain Jade don't have rusty skins.
    14. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 11 years ago
      Oh i see its got a squirrels tail in Shrines link.
      Sorry squirrel not mouse:) still very sweet, i prefer yours to the linked one, i thought the carving looks nicer.
      Shrine seems very knowledgable in asian things, & so his opinions in high demand, lol, they're hard to find out about & when you can't read signatures nay impossible! hoping he'll see my japanese pictures & maybe know something:)
    15. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 11 years ago
      OMGosh (as sweety Aims likes to say) stillwater i just saw your link to the bluey coloured one..over £5000!!! Mind boggling!
    16. shrine shrine, 11 years ago
      Hi Fran, you think stwillia's piece is better in terms of carving? Yes, you are right and I agree with you from my emotional side. But my rational side rings the bell and told me look closer.

      Take this photo as example, the carved line in circle. This one has smooth edge without any stop and a round bottom. It is VERY unlikely to be done by traditional hand carving. It's the evidently been done by a powered tools, which came into practice in late 20c. There are other traits of powered tools, no time to point them out one by one. A traditional carved jade takes a trained craftman mouths while the same job could be done by days with help of power tools. It's not bad for modern arts collection, but antique is another story.

      http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/shrine79/temp/3_zps908e754b.jpg
    17. Vintagefran Vintagefran, 11 years ago
      Cool. Thanks for the lesson shrine:)
      Stillwater i hope you don't mind, may i ask shrine take a quick peek at this, nothing special but see if I've got it right, carved or moulded or maybe now machine carved???
      http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/115402-wood-resin-chinese-turtle-tortoise-drago

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