A LARGE AND RARE MALACHITE 'FLOWER AND BIRDS' BOULDER18th centuryThe vertical boulder elaborately carved with a dynamic openworkposition of a blossoming peony plant emerging from a cluster of pierced rockwork, the stems sweeping in varied directions and issuing twisting leaves and flowers at various stages of bloom, nine birds perching on the branches with some glancing at one another, the stone a bright green colour with black flecking, box.26cm (10 1/4in) high (2).Provenance: 十八世紀 孔雀石雕花鳥大山子Provenance:Michael Hughes, New York來源：Michael Hughes，紐約Malachite carvings of this impressive size are extremely rare because of the material's brittle nature, see a delicately carved malachite table screen decorated with figures and landscapes in the Qing Court Collection, housed in the Antiquarium of the Palace Museum, Beijing, acc.no.Gu105622.此山子采難得之大料製成，質地細密無孔。花卉、鳥獸雕工運刀深峻，山石蒼古厚重，頗見意趣。見故宮博物院珍寶館藏一件清代雕孔雀石山水人物插屏，館藏編號：故105622。