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Antique Chinese White Jade Openwork Plum Blossom Plaque
Late Qing to Republic Period
A luminous little circle of winter-blooming resilience.
This finely pierced white jade plaque is carved as a ring of plum blossoms around a full central flower. Each blossom is given a delicate lattice heart; slender branches and curling leaves weave through the openwork so the piece reads as both solid and airy. The stone is an even, cool white with a soft inner glow — the kind of quiet luminosity that rewards holding it to the light.
Diameter 4.1 cm (1.6 in). The reverse is the clean silhouette of the carving, typical of plaques made to be worn or mounted. Condition is very good, with no visible chips or losses to the slender connecting stems.
Plum blossom (meihua) is one of the classic “three friends of winter” — the flower that opens against frost and therefore stands for endurance, renewal, and scholarly character. A small, complete example like this works equally well as a pendant, a collector’s object, or a discreet addition to a group of Chinese hardstones.
A graceful, wearable fragment of traditional Chinese carving — modest in size, rich in meaning.
