Page 103 - Chiense jades Hong Kong Sothebys April 2017

This bear is carved in the round from celadon jade 青白玉質，局部褐斑，立體圓雕臥熊。熊四肢
and is partially covered with light brown mottles. 臥於腹下，雙目直視，短鼻，短耳豎立，憨態
Recumbent on its four limbs and staring directly 可愛，毛髮刻畫細膩。此熊頸繫精緻項圈，可
ahead, the bear is finely articulated, with a short 知為馴養之寵物。
nose and short upward-pointing ears. Its delicate
collar indicates that it is a domesticated pet. 此玉熊之造型、裝飾與神態，令人聯想到徐州
北洞山楚王墓出土的一件西漢玉熊。其肥碩的
In form, decoration, and mood, this present 體型，伏臥的姿勢，頸部的嵌貝項圈，以及局
work recalls another jade bear excavated 部表現鬃毛的短陰線刻方式，與北洞山玉熊如
from one of the tombs of the Princes of Chu 出一轍，參見《大漢楚王：徐州西漢楚王陵墓
in Beidongshan, Xuzhou. Similarly depicted 文物輯萃》，中國國家博物館，北京，2005
robust and recumbent, the jade bear is also 年，頁268-275。但玉質有別，尺寸減半，眼
portrayed with a collar and hair detailed with 睛呈三角形雕刻，鼻孔、嘴巴、耳朵等五官的
short incised lines. See Da Han Chuwang: Xuzhou 表現手法亦有差異。
Xihan Chuwang lingmu wenwu jicui [Selected
cultural relics excavated at the Western Han
dynasty mausoleum of the King of Chu], National
Museum of China, Beijing, 2005, pp. 268-275.
However, the present piece is carved from jade
of a different quality and is half the size of the
Beidongshan example. It differs from the latter
also in its triangular renditions of the bear’s eyes,
nostrils, mouth and ears.

BEASTS OF ANTIQUITY – IMPORTANT JADE ANIMALS FROM THE CHANG SHOU STUDIO 101