Jade mandarin ducks with lotus, Qing dynasty, China, probably 18th century. Artist: Unknown

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Jade mandarin ducks with lotus, Qing dynasty, China, probably 18th century. A pale celadon-green pebble carved in the shape of two mandarin ducks positioned head to tail each holding a lotus spray. In places the orange outer skin of the pebble is showing. The entire group is shown sitting on a lotus leaf. The bird's crests and tails have fine incision. The bodies and heads are somewhat compromised from nature to accomodate the designs within the confines of the pebble. A pair of Mandarin ducks symbolises marital fidelity in Chinese art.

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Size: 2836px × 2218px
Location:
Photo credit: © The Museum of East Asian Art/Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 18th, art, artefact, artifact, arts, asian, bird, birds, carved, carving, century, china, chinese, color, colour, concept, country, couple, duck, ducks, dynasty, east, eighteenth, fidelity, flower, flowers, jade, location, lotus, love, lovebirds, mandarin, marriage, metaphor, museum, nature, object, pair, people, plant, qing, symbol, symbolic, unknown