A pale green jade 'apsara' carving


Qing DynastyThe flying figure elegantly modelled, holding a billowing celestial scarf and flying above cloud scroll motifs, the pale stone of even tone, with slight russet inclusions to the underside.8.5cm (3.3/8in) long.
|ProvenanceThe Philp Cardeiro Collection, Knapton Rasti Asian Art, 2009, no. 14.For a Song Dynasty example, see The Muwen Tang Collection of Chinese Jades, Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 1 December 2016, lot 210.A female spirit of the clouds in Buddhist mythology, apsaras were beautiful heavenly attendants to deities. Jade figures of flying apsaras began to appear from the Tang dynasty.