Featured Large White Jade Figures in a Shadow Box -Help!

I stopped by an estate sale today - big mistake. The former owner was a world-travelled collector. Luckily, I got there late on the second day. I couldn't pass up these white jade figures in a shadow box, though, so I need your help in discovering what they are and if they have any age.

I think the figures are Chinese as I recognize the symbols. There are words at the top that I can't interpret. While the presentation does not lend itself to see the translucency, I am hoping they are white jade, but I don't know the quality.

It is a very large piece measuring almost 3 ft by 3 feet (30 inches by 31 inches). I have no idea where it will go in my house. The jade figures are approximately 10 inches tall. The width of the box is 2 inches, and the figures take up most of that space. The bottom of the figures are almost 7 inches of white jade each. The top figures are glued on.

I included the back, which is covered in a velvet type of material. Pictures were difficult because of the glass. I apologize for their poor quality. The estate sellers had no information, but the place was jammed packed with beautiful treasures. Any help would be sincerely appreciated. I hope I didn't throw my money away.

 

Looks like stone. Might be a tourist piece for a decorative use.

 

Frankly, I would be surprised at this. She lived in a multimillion-dollar house overlooking the ocean. Granted that wouldn't necessarily mean she wouldn't hang a tourist piece on her walls, but a lot of her stuff was good quality.

 

dear Kiko......
I don't know if it's good or not......I'm not seeing mutton fat jade though....
so, maybe it was worth a shot...but,
...
just because the house was grand..........means nothing about it's contents ...

hell, it could have even been a gift from her in-laws that she had to display. ...


personally.....I've never seen fine jade displayed in such a poor manner....

 

The text says 'Dragon Phoenix Jade Pair' (upside down in the images)

 

Serpentine carvings inspired by historical jades.
Chinese items in a shadow box are usually made as souvenirs.

 

Whatever they are, they are really nice pieces.

 

Yep, looks like stone to me also!

 

Thank you Komo. I’ve been having problems with my laptop (I think cats stomping across it) so I wasn’t able to respond to your thoughts right away. While I never thought it was fine jade, I thought they might be older pieces. Live and learn. Thank you for taking a look and commenting.

 

Terrific. I appreciate the translation. I can’t tell right side up though I went to some calligraphy classes. I was amazed to find out the difficulty in learning - the vast number of characters. So, I very much appreciate your help.

 

Excellent information. I’ll be more wary of such things in the future. I had hoped for something original but copies are as close as I will ever get. Thank you.

 

Rob. Thank you. I am happy with my purchase. I love Chinese iconography. I was hoping for older pieces but now I have a sort of benchmark for assessing future opportunities.

 

Thank you for Janice. That’s seems to be the consensus. I was hoping for jade but actually it would have been quite a bargain if it was real.

 

always a pleasure ....!
no need to worry about timing..!