Page 252 - 2019 October Important Chinese Art Sotheby's Hong Kong

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A WHITE JADE FIGURE OF A MYTHICAL BEAST 清十八世紀 白玉臥獸
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

worked recumbent with legs tucked underneath its body and
tail curled alongside its rear haunches, its head rested on
its front paws, detailed with a pair of almond-shaped eyes,
flaring nostrils and funnel-shaped ears flanking a pair of long
horns, the stone of an even white tone flecked with russet
7.3 cm, 2⅞ in.
HK$ 400,000-600,000
US$ 51,000-76,500

Finely carved in the round, this piece is notable for its
sense of playfulness which is captured in the beast’s facial
expression and pose, and accentuated by its large paws and
curly locks of fur. The attractive deep russet on its reverse
has been skilfully incorporated into the rendering of its back.
Small animal carvings of this type were highly appreciated
by the literati who considered them both as utilitarian
paperweights and as objects of aesthetic pleasure. Another
jade mythological beast is illustrated in Thomas Fok, The
Splendour of Jade. The Songzhutang Collection of Jade,
Hong Kong, 2011, pl. 124; a larger example was sold in these
rooms, 30th March 2005, lot 111.

250 SOTHEBY ’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART