AN EXQUISITE WHITE JADE CARVING OF A RABBITQianlongDeftly carved as a rabbit in recumbent position, with legs tucked under the body and ears laid back, grasping a longlingzhi spray in its mouth, the smoothly polished stone of an opaque white tone.5.8cm (2 1/4in) longProvenance: 清乾隆 白玉雕玉兔銜靈芝把件The subject matter of rabbit or hare, associated with making the 'elixir of life' for the moon goddess Chang'e, as well as being one of the twelve zodiac animals, was popular in the Qing Court.pare a related larger white and russet jade rabbit inlaid with semi-precious stones, Qing dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated inCompendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 9 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, no.150; and see also a cloisonné enamel model of a rabbit, Qianlong, in the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, illustrated by M.Crick,Chine Impériale: Splendeurs de la Dynastie Qing (1644-1911), Geneva, 2014, no.91.See a larger white jade carving of a rabbit, 18th century, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2185. Another Qianlong white jade and russet carving of a rabbit of simialr size as the present lot was sold in these rooms, 29 May 2018, lot 26.兔圓雕成抿耳靜臥狀，口銜一株靈芝，形態生動傳神。玉兔為月宮靈物，靈芝是傳說中的仙草，兔銜靈芝的形象象徵吉祥長壽。此類題材在清宮藝術品中亦有所見，如北京故宮博物院藏一件白玉嵌寶石臥兔，著錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器編9·清》，北京，2011年，圖150。另見巴黎裝飾藝術博物館藏一件清乾隆銅胎掐絲琺瑯臥兔，著錄於M.Crick，《Chine Impériale: Splendeurs de la Dynastie Qing (1644-1911)》，日內瓦，2014年，圖91。香港佳士得曾售出一例較大的十八世紀白玉雕兔銜靈芝擺件，2013年5月29日，拍品2185。另見一件與本器大小相若的清乾隆白玉雕玉兔銜靈芝，售於香港邦瀚斯，2018年5月29日，拍品26。