Period:Ming dynasty Production date:14thC-17thC
Materials:jade
Technique:carved
Dimensions:Height: 5.40 centimetres Length: 9.90 centimetres
Description:
White jade carving of a “flying” boy.
IMG
![图片[1]-figure BM-2022-3034.219-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Ming dynasty/Jades/652_.jpg)
Comments:Carved from a stone of flecked white tone with russet veining as a boy wearing bracelets and anklets, his hair tied in two topknots, his head with a billowing scarf with one end held in his hands. Yuan/early Ming. Although much later than 656 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.79], this ornament is closely related to those of nos 656 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.79] and 687 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.235]. Like them, the figure is shown as if flying through the air. The round face of this figure of a boy is crowned by by bunches of hair and enveloped with scarves. His two arms are also entwined with the scarves and a further trailing band encircles his feet which are extended behind him. While rounded on one side, the figure is flat in the other, suggesting that it was an ornament that was not intended to be seen from both sides. James Watt has suggested in connection with this piece that flying boys, wrapped in a long streamer, were transformations of the earlier deities flying through clouds of the Liao or Jin period. Many such figures were probably intended to depict Jade Maidens. Jade Boys, though mentioned less frequently, were also inhabitants of the paradises of immortals. While this form is a descendant of this early genre of image, we do not know whether it was recognised as depicting a Jade Boy. See James C. Y. Watt, Chinese Jades from Han to Ch’ing, The Asia Society, New York, 1980; see Rawson 1995, p.333,cat. no.25.8.
Materials:jade
Technique:carved
Dimensions:Height: 5.40 centimetres Length: 9.90 centimetres
Description:
White jade carving of a “flying” boy.
IMG
Comments:Carved from a stone of flecked white tone with russet veining as a boy wearing bracelets and anklets, his hair tied in two topknots, his head with a billowing scarf with one end held in his hands. Yuan/early Ming. Although much later than 656 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.79], this ornament is closely related to those of nos 656 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.79] and 687 [2014,AsiaLoan,1.235]. Like them, the figure is shown as if flying through the air. The round face of this figure of a boy is crowned by by bunches of hair and enveloped with scarves. His two arms are also entwined with the scarves and a further trailing band encircles his feet which are extended behind him. While rounded on one side, the figure is flat in the other, suggesting that it was an ornament that was not intended to be seen from both sides. James Watt has suggested in connection with this piece that flying boys, wrapped in a long streamer, were transformations of the earlier deities flying through clouds of the Liao or Jin period. Many such figures were probably intended to depict Jade Maidens. Jade Boys, though mentioned less frequently, were also inhabitants of the paradises of immortals. While this form is a descendant of this early genre of image, we do not know whether it was recognised as depicting a Jade Boy. See James C. Y. Watt, Chinese Jades from Han to Ch’ing, The Asia Society, New York, 1980; see Rawson 1995, p.333,cat. no.25.8.
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![[Qing Dynasty] British female painter—Elizabeth Keith, using woodblock prints to record China from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China—1915-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-191x300.png)
