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It is factually correct that Big Sur Nephrite jade sculptures by the respected sculptor Don Wobber appear on my website.

There is an old saying among jade collectors that if you ask 6 experts for an opinion, you'll get 12 opinions! Expertise is derived from direct personal experience over a prolonged period of time. Expertise in one field does not by itself guarantee expertise in another discipline. Gaining expertise requires hard work, study, reflection and confidence in one's ability and the integrity to admit there is always something new to be learned. Keeping an open, flexible mind and applying knowledge to a real world situation are important.Knowledge once painfully gained cannot be taken away from you.

Thank-you,
Sam Bernstein
S. Bernstein & Co. San Francisco

Dear Sam

Thanks for visiting, It's our privilege to hear from you. Please provide us more of your valuable suggestions or opinion about jade.

B rgs
Anita Mui

Thank-you for your kind words. As is usual and customary in my field, I refrain from expressing informal opinions. I am engaged professionally in providing appraisal of objects on behalf of museums, private collectors, auction houses, insurance companies,fellow appraisers and providing expert witness testimony in judicial proceedings. My firm maintains a considerable reference and research library, a research staff and an on premises translator. As you can imagine, this is costly, and I charge for my time for providing this service to my clients.

Over the course of my career I have made a sincere effort to share my knowledge and expertise with collectors and enthusiasts through my writings and numerous seminars, lectures and symposium. A complete list of my lifetime work may be found on the S. Bernstein & Co., website under 'Appraisal'
and click on Curriculum Vitae.

Thank-you,
Sam Bernstein

Dear Mr. Bernstein:

Thank you for your excellent advice.

I love the nephrite jade carvings made by Mr. Don Wobber including those that were made of BIG SUR nephrite jade:

http://bernsteinjadeart.com/3468.html
http://bernsteinjadeart.com/1826.html

I believe all of his pieces, no matter what material they were made of, are truly masterpieces and my favorite one is the one made with both bronze and nephrite:

http://bernsteinjadeart.com/3467.html

Sisyphus
Cast Bronze & Nephrite Jade
Single Edition, Height 12 inches

It is such a powerful portray of Sisyphus and I cannot help but keeping looking at it.

I would like to ask for your persmission to post it here for everybody to admire.

My most favorite one among the contemporary jade carvings that are currenly offered in your site would be the "Recumbent Buffalo" made by Mr. Shen Quan and it was made of Black Khotan Jade:

http://bernsteinjadeart.com/3452SQ.html

The black Kohtan (Hetian) jade material by itself is extremely rare and in such a size (the buffalo carving is 13 inches) is almost unheard of. While most Chinese jade literatures grade mutton-fat, white and celadon Hetian jade above black, in reality quality and large black Hetian jade are really rare and only genuine yellow Hetian jade is rarer.

Mr. Shen Quan captures the beauty and serenity of the buffalo with such simplicity and seemingly so effortless. To me that is truly a masterpiece and I am surprised it is still avialble.

With your persmission, I would love to post its pictures here for everybody to enjoy its beauty.

Thank you very much.

Bill

Thank-you for your request to publish digital images of four contemporary jades from my firm's website for educational purposes. You do so, with the attribution, 'Image copyright S. Bernstein & Co., 2009, Used by permission'.

As a student of Ancient Philosophy in college, I have always enjoyed mythological subjects. The conjunction of bronze sculpture and jade in a classical depiction of Sisyphus by my good friend Don Wobber is seductive and irresistable!

I am amazed by the jade art of Shen Quan. The black ox was possible due to the artists acquisition of a particularly fine grained black Khotan jade boulder. The artist announced his retirement, although he is a young 68 years of age. When I saw him last, he was dissatisfied with retirement and completed the black ox over a year long period. It is signed, as are his other works and to my feeling, represents Shen Quan's work at its best.

Thank-you,
S. Bernstein

Dear Mr. Bernstein:

Thank you for your permission to post the beautiful bronze sculpture and jade made by Mr. Don Wobber in this forum for educational purpose.

http://bernsteinjadeart.com/3467.html

Due to the size of the two pictures posted in your site (see above link) I do not believe my reduced sized pictures will do it justic and therefore I urge members to go to the above link for more details.

Bill

Mr. Bernstein:

Thank you for allowing me to post the picture of the beautiful "Recumbent Buffalo" black Khotan jade carving rendered by Mr. Shen Quan in this forum for educational purpose. When I first saw it I was captivated by its beauty and was awed with the artist's ability in expressing the serenity of the buffalo with such simplicity and effortlessness.

To find a piece of black Khotan nephrite jade in such quality and size and to have a dedicated artist at his peak to dedicate with more than a year's time in rendering it is undoubtedly an once in a life time opportunity and therefore this piece is truly a unique masterpiece.

Thank you for sharing it with us! I really appreciate your geneorsity.

Bill

Very well-said words of wisdom from an expert!

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