Lot 186. A rare white jade 'dragon and phoenix' tally (hefu), Qinq dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate20,000 — 30,000 USD. Lot sold 286,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.
formed from two circular discs, each half with a pierced central medallion enclosing two characters readingtongxin (of one heart), one finely carved in low relief to the top with an archaistic phoenix and tiger, the underside with two characters reading hanhe (cherish harmony), interspersed by four archaistic animal masks, set with two small hooked tabs, one of circular form incised with the qian symbol from the Eight Trigrams, the other of square form with a long character, the other disc carved with four characters readingruyue zhiheng (as eternal as the moon), divided by archaistic angular strapwork, the underside with a pair of confronting kui dragons encircling two small slots for the tabs to slide in, the softly polished stone of even color with some inclusions (2) - Diameter 2 1/8 in., 5.4 cm
Notes: Compare a nearly identical Qianlong period white jade tally in the Palace Museum, Beijing, which has the central tongxin characters carved on a solid ground instead of pierced as with the present lot, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 27. See another similar white jade tally with different characters, sold in our Paris rooms, 16th December 2010, lot 265.
The present tally, or hefu in Chinese, derives from a special two-piece object that was used as a representation of authority or identification in ancient China. The history of the tally can be traced back to as early as the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC), when they were often made of bronze and in the form of tigers – and thus were given the name hufu (tiger tally). They had an important function in the early military system; the right piece was always retained in the central government and strictly controlled by the emperor; and the left piece was carried by the local military officers or commanders. When military action was to be taken, the emperor would send out his right piece to the corresponding local officer, and only when the two pieces of a tiger tally were matched, could troops then be dispatched.
Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 13 Sep 2016, 10:30 AM