A CHINESE WHITE JADE 'BADGERS' PENDANT

18TH CENTURY

Of oval form, carved in openwork with two feline-like badgers, the animals recline together gazing back at each other, with finely incised hairs to the ends of their curled tails, the pale stone with some small russet markings, 5.1cm.

Provenance: from an English private collection, West Sussex, acquired by the current owner during various tours of duty between 1968 and 1985.

The Chinese word for 'badger', huan, is homophonous with that for 'joy'. The image of two badgers, shuanghuan, is therefore symbolic of a couple enjoying marital bliss.

Cf. Marchant, Ninety Jades for 90 Years, p.79, no.40 for a similar pendant; see also T Y Pang & J Sze, Virtuous Treasures: Chinese Jades for the Scholar's Table, p.179, no.103 for another example.