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A CELADON JADE MYTHICAL A CELADON AND BROWN A PALE GREY JADE ‘QILIN AND
BEAST JADE MYTHICAL BEAST
MING DYNASTY OR EARLIER MING DYNASTY BOOK’ CARVING
Compare a yellow jade dog carved in a similar style, A slightly larger carving of a mythical beast modelled QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH
illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the with its head raised is illustrated in Roger Keverne,
Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, Jade, London, 1991, p. 139, pl. 29; and another in the CENTURY
1996, pl. 38. Kirknorton Collection is illustrated in Brian Morgan,
Naturalism & Archaism: Chinese Jades from the Kirknorton Notable for its large size and heavy weight, a similar
27 Collection, London, 1995, cat. no. 51. carving was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society
exhibition, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria
A CELADON AND BROWN 34 and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 374; and a
JADE MYTHICAL BEAST pale green jade version, with the book sliding off of the
17TH CENTURY AN ARCHAISTIC CELADON ruyi scroll-covered back of the qilin, was included in the
JADE ‘BIXIE’ WATER DROPPER exhibition Jade as Sculpture, Minnesota Museum of Art,
A jade carving of a mythological beast similarly MING DYNASTY St. Paul, 1975, cat. no. 11. See also a larger example in
modelled with its head lowered, in the National Palace the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete
Museum, Taipei, was included in the exhibition Great A water dropper similarly carved as a bixie was included Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware
National Treasures of China, Kaohsiung City, 1983, cat. in the exhibition Chinese Jade: An Important Private (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 94.
no. 40; and another is illustrated in James C. Y. Watt, Collection, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1991, cat. no.
Chinese Jades from the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum, 163; a slightly larger example, in the Victoria and According to the Liji (Book of Rites), written from the
Seattle, 1989, pl. 55. Compare also one attributed to the Albert Museum, London, is illustrated in Ming Wilson, Warring States Period to the Qin and Han dynasties,
Tang period, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society Chinese Jades, London, 2004, p. 62, pl. 65. See also Fuxi, the first of the three legendary rulers of ancient
exhibition Chinese Jade throughout the ages, Victoria and a carving of a bixie, illustrated in John Ayers, A Jade China, was observing all under heaven when he saw a
Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 195. Menagerie: Creatures Real and Imaginary from the Warrell creature emerge from the river. This creature had the
Collection, London, 1993, pl. 17. form of a horse, the head of a dragon and the scales of
a fish, thus containing the essence of both heaven and
earth. The markings on the creature’s back inspired Fuxi
to invent the eight trigrams, which led to the invention
of writing, represented by the book on the creature’s
back. Later writings described the creature as appearing
when a sage ruled the land.
32 35 38
A RARE IVORY ‘QILIN’ SEAL A SMALL WHITE JADE A GREEN-GLAZED POTTERY
MYTHICAL BEAST FIGURE OF A DOG
MING DYNASTY, 15TH/16TH QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH HAN DYNASTY
CENTURY
CENTURY A related ceramic dog, from the Hoyt collection in
Compare a slightly larger mythical beast included in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is illustrated in
Ivory seals of the Ming dynasty are rare and the Ming the exhibition Chinese Jade: Stone for the Emperors, Art Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol.
attribution of the present piece is confirmed by a related Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, 1986, pl. X. 10, Tokyo, 1980, pl. 25; another in the Victoria and
seal dated to 1418 during the reign of the Yongle Albert Museum, London, is published in Rose Kerr
Emperor, from the collection of H.J. Oppenheim and (ed.), Chinese Art and Design: The T. T. Tsui Gallery of
now in the British Museum, London, included in the Chinese Art, London, 1991, pl. 14; a third was sold twice
International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy in our London rooms, 20th November 1973, lot 122,
of Arts, London, 1935-6, cat. no. 2935. Another and 2nd/3rd December 1974, lot 136; and a further
seal, attributed to the late Ming period, in the Palace example was sold at Christie’s London, 20th/21st June
Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo meishu fenlei 1984, lot 13.
quanji. Zhongguo zhu mu ya jiao qi quanji, Beijing, 2009,
pl. 29. 39
Further examples of Ming ivory seals include one A ‘YUE’ ‘DOG IN A PEN’ MODEL
from the collection of Sir Herbert and Lady Ingram of EASTERN JIN DYNASTY,
Driffield Manor, sold in our London rooms, 8th June 3RD/4TH CENTURY
1993, lot 155, carved on the top with a lion; and another
with a dragon in a pose similar to the present, attributed Numerous vessels of this type of various shapes and sizes
to the Wanli reign (1573-1620), from the Sir Percival with dogs in the interior were included in the exhibition
and Lady David collection, included in the Oriental Animal Farm in Yue Ware, Uragami So kyu-do , Tokyo,
Ceramic Society exhibition The Arts of the Ming Dynasty, 1992, cat. nos. 5-24.
The Arts Council Gallery, London, 1957, cat. no. 363,
sold in our London rooms, 14th December 1976, lot
206. See also a meticulously carved seal surmounted by
a dragon clutching a flaming pearl, offered in our Hong
Kong rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 3201.
MENAGERIE 133
