A Large Chinese Low-Relief Duan Stone Chime, 19th Century
清晚期端石如意雲頭石磬

19th Century

The chime, substantial in weight and adorned with intricate low-relief carvings on both sides, is divided into two distinct registers by a central band of intertwined Kui dragons.
The upper register depicts a graceful phoenix soaring amidst swirling clouds, while the lower register presents a dynamic scene of two lions locked in playful combat over a brocade ball, a motif representing strength, prosperity, and joyful rivalry, crowning the piece is an elegantly crafted floral-form brass suspension ring.

Note:
The Chinese stone chime (qing) has its origins as a ritual musical instrument used in the imperial courts of ancient China, where its resonant tone not only embodied cosmic harmony but also signified rank and authority. Beyond their musical function, such instruments became powerful symbols of social status and refinement. After the Qin and Han dynasties, the use of stone chimes in orchestras gradually declined, and they were increasingly produced as decorative objects for temples and grand halls, serving both ceremonial and symbolic purposes. Within the scholar’s studio, miniature or decorative versions further reflected erudition and cultivated taste.

The present example is carved from duan stone, a material prized for its rarity and subtle beauty. Its refined surface and rich coloration recall the patina of archaic bronze. While Chinese chimes were traditionally rendered in a chevron form, this large example is carved in the distinctive shape of two conjoined ruyi heads, a form associated with auspicious wishes. The primary decoration features phoenixes in flight among billowing clouds, above playful fu lions tumbling with brocade balls—a combination of motifs deeply charged with blessings of prosperity, longevity, and auspicious fortune. The larger scale, material, and decorative program suggest that this chime was conceived as a fine decorative piece, likely intended for display in a temple or hall as a potent emblem of authority and auspicious power.

For a pudding stone example in a similar form, see Literati / Curiosity II, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 April 2016, lot 2933.

For a carved duan stone vase with similar auspicious decoration, see Important Chinese Art, Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 697.

For a carved 'bat and cloud' duan stone example, see China Guardian Beijing, November 29, 2023, lot 4702.

For a pair of similar examples, see Duoyunxun Auction, Shanghai, December 18, 2019, lot 1562.

Height without Suspension Ring: 16 1/8 in., 41 cm.

Property from a Distinguished Pennsylvania Collection

This lot is located in New York.

Provenance:

Property from a Distinguished Pennsylvania Collection, acquired from Petit Musee, Montreal, Canada, November 20, 1989.

The owners of this collection were part-owners of an international company which carried them across the globe and frequently to China. It was during these journeys that their fascination with Chinese works of art first took hold, nurtured by encounters with objects that spoke to both artistry and heritage. Over the course of a single decade, between 1986 and 1996, they assembled the core of their collection—acquiring primarily from leading dealers in the United States, with select additions from Europe, Canada, and Hong Kong.

來源：

本品由某國際集團的家族後人委托。作爲經營者，委托方奔波四海，1986-1996年間頻繁往返中美，藏品中的書畫和珍玩在此期間購自美國、歐洲、加國和香港古董商。本品1989年11月20日購自加拿大蒙特利爾 Petit Musee行。

A Large Chinese Low-Relief Duan Stone Chime, 19th Century清晚期 端石如意雲頭石磬

A Large Chinese Low-Relief Duan Stone Chime, 19th Century清晚期 端石如意雲頭石磬

**A Large Chinese Low-Relief Duan Stone Chime, 19th Century
清晚期端石如意雲頭石磬**

**A Large Chinese Low-Relief Duan Stone Chime, 19th Century
清晚期端石如意雲頭石磬**