A Turn of Century, Late Qing Monkey on Elephant Jade Handling Piece
一件可爱的清末至民初大象和猴子玉，由带有黄棕色内含物的青瓷色调软玉雕刻而.
A lovely late Qing to early Republic elephant and monkey jade handling piece carved from a solid celadon tone nephrite with russet inclusions.
We know its a handling piece due to its size and the curvature of the elephant which rests the back of the carving into the curve of your palm. It would have been something similar to a fidget spinner but designed for reflection and thought. Until the end of the imperial Qing Dynasty there was still a focus on older philosophies and cultural beliefs. This would of course change as China would go on to experience an extremely turbulent and transformative period during the global war and inter-war years.In terms of symbolism, the elephant signifies strength and wisdom in Chinese culture while the monkey symbolises intelligence. The two combined were likely meant to act in combination to provide the owner with career luck or perhaps this was gifted after a significant career move.