A FINELY CARVED WHITE JADE 'TOAD AND POMEGRANATE' GROUP Qianlong (2)A FINELY CARVED WHITE JADE 'TOAD AND POMEGRANATE' GROUPQianlongThe group naturalistically carved as a crouching toad with large bulging eyes and dimpled skin, its mouth grasping a fruiting pomegranate branch, the stone of an even white tone, box. 5.5cm (2 1/8in) wide. (2).清乾隆 白玉雕丁財兩旺金蟾石榴把件The present lot demonstrates the remarkable craftsmanship and technical virtuosity achieved in the jade ateliers during the Qianlong reign period. The exquisite quality of the lustrous even white jade stone exemplifies the finest jade quality made available following the Qianlong emperor's conquest of the Dzungar Khanate between 1755 and 1759, where much of the jade was sourced. The jade carver whilst demonstrating his skills in the sculptural and refined details, evident in the attention to details such as its naturalistic dimpled skin and facial features and continuing over to the underside with crisply carved claws, ensured that the superb quality of the stone would be exhibited through the areas left unadorned, smoothly polished to a lustrous sheen. Jade groups with both 'toad and pomegranate' function as auspicious omens of 'wishing for more sons and fortune', see a Qing dynasty white jade 'toad and pomegranate' group in the Qing Court collection, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, Beijing, 2011, vol.9, p.166, pl.155; see also a 18th century white jade 'three-legged toad grasping a sprig of leafy osmanthus' group previously in the Roger Keverne collection, which was sold at Hong Kong Sotheby's, 5 October 2016, lot 87.取和田籽玉圓雕金蟾，蟾前伏後踞，背部琢磨點狀凸起，筋骨矯健，雙目圓睜，刀法疏簡傳神，十分生動，金蟾口沿下圓雕石榴一枝，玉色白皙，質地透潤，雕工與材質並美，乃乾隆時期的玉雕傑作。1755年和1759年兩征回部之後，大量優質和田白玉流入中原，此件用料或即彼時輸入。蟾蜍繁殖旺盛，石榴多籽，在明清兩代因而有多子多孫的寓意，蟾蜍又稱金蟾，代表財富，故金蟾與石榴的組合意為「丁財兩旺」。北京故宮藏一件清代白玉雕蟾可資參考，玉蟾亦捧石榴枝，見《故宮博物館藏品大系·玉器編》，北京，2011年，卷9，頁166，編號155。又可比較一件Roger Keverne舊藏十八世紀白玉蟾宮折桂把件，玉質、題材類似，而本件玉蟾更具動感，2016年10月5日售於香港蘇富比，拍品編號87。