Lot 176
CHINESE CELADON JADE CARVING OF KUI XING
MING TO QING DYNASTY
Auction: 06 November 2026 from 10:00 GMT
Description
明至清 青玉雕魁星點斗
carved in the round as the god of examinations, Kui Xing, his right arm raised holding a brush, whilst the left hand holding an ingot, the stone of celadon tone with russet veins
Dimensions
13.2cm high
Footnote
Kui Xing is venerated as the patron of scholars and the imperial examination system. According to legend, he rewards diligent candidates by granting them the title of zhuangyuan (top scholar) and ensuring success in civil service. Traditionally, images of Kui Xing were employed to inspire scholarly ambition, symbolise academic achievement, and invoke good fortune in examinations. Similar depictions of Kui Xing, see an artificial planter with a coral carving of the deity, formerly in the Qing Court collection, currently in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, museum no. 故雜Gu Za 1375. Also see a bronze sculpture of Kui Xing, dated to the Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century, of closely comparable form to the present example, in the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art, object no. 1998.146. See a Qing dynasty jade example, sold at Christie's Paris, 10 Dec 2025, lot 10.