Jadeite Boulder Carving of Landscape with a Sage, China, 18th-19th century. Ton Ying & Company: Gallery 87/212.751.0134
“The mind of the Sage, being in repose, becomes the mirror of the universe, the speculum of all creation,” writes the Taoist mystic, Chuang Tzu. In this exquisite Chinese jadeite boulder carving, the mind of the Taoist sage is made tangible through a tranquil landscape. In Taoist tradition, the Sage is a perfect being who “blends everything into one harmonious whole, rejecting the confusion of this and that.” In this sculpture, a sage-scholar is flanked by turns and twist of rocks, streams, bridges, distant pavilions, and multiplicities of foliage, mirroring the fluidity of the Sage’s philosophy. The work is accentuated by the dark wood stand, which becomes a natural extension of the artwork, and the rich green jadeite is varied with white russet hues for varied natural elements. See a close-up of this piece here on the Ton Ying & Company gallery page.
