A CHINESE PALE CELADON JADE 'HORSE AND MONKEY' BELT BUCKLE

18TH CENTURY

The recumbent horse with its legs tucked underneath its body, turning its head backwards to look at the primate seated upon its back, the monkey carved with a mischievous expression and clutching onto the horse's reins, the reverse with two circular loops for attachment, the stone with some areas of white mottling, 8.5cm.

The motif of a monkey, hou, on the back of a horse, ma, represents the rebus ma shang feng hou, which may be translated as 'may you immediately be promoted to a high rank of office.' Such pieces would have been used to pass on good wishes to aspiring officials.

Cf. Marchant, Chinese Jades from the Mr O J R Allen Collection, p.72, no.35 for a related belt buckle.