Page 32 - Chinese Jades Nov 30 2017 Hong Kong

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A PALE CELADON AND RUSSET JADE Jade carvings of hound-like dogs in a resting pose with
FIGURE OF A DOG outstretched legs can be found from as early as the Tang
SONG – MING DYNASTY dynasty, such as the carved figure included in the exhibition
Chinese Jade Animals, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 68. The
the recumbent animal with an upward curling tail, its head present piece belongs to a group of distinctive jade animals
facing forward and detailed with almond-shaped eyes and delicately carved in naturalistic poses, popular from the Song
floppy ears, the stone of pale celadon and light grey tones with dynasty to the early Qing dynasty. Their utilitarian function
russet veining was as paperweights, but it is likely that such high-quality,
5.5 cm, 2⅛ in. sensitively rendered sculptures were kept as ‘playthings’ for
scholars or wealthy patrons.
PROVENANCE
A related crouching yellow jade hound, from the Hei-Chi
C.C. Teng & Co., Taipei, 1997.
collection, modelled with a similar coiling tail, sold in these
HK$ 80,000-100,000 rooms, 8th April 2010, lot 1987, was included in the exhibition
Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong
US$ 10,300-12,900
Kong, 1983, cat. no. 136; and another, from the collection of
Victor Shaw, was exhibited in Exquisite Jade Carving: Figures,
宋至明 青白玉犬 Animals, Ornaments, University Museum and Art Gallery,
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 79. See
來源：
also a jade reclining dog, from the collections of Mrs Joan
慎德堂，台北，1997年 Barrow, Lord and Lady Cunliffe, and Mary and George Bloch,
included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese
Jade throughout the Ages, London, 1975, cat. no. 251, sold in
these rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 20.
A jade dog from the Zhirouzhai collection, attributed to the
Song dynasty, was included in the exhibition Exquisite Jade
Carving, op.cit., cat. no. 85, and sold in these rooms, 8th
October 2008, lot 2312; and another was sold in these rooms,
8th April 2010, lot 2056. Compare also a jade reclining dog
formerly in the Alsdorf collection, dated to the Ming dynasty or
earlier illustrated in S. Marchant and Son, Post-Archaic Chinese
Jades from Private Collections, London, 2000, cat. no. 78.

30 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比