A CHINESE YELLOW JADE CARVING OF A MYTHICAL BEAST
明 黃玉瑞獸

A CHINESE YELLOW JADE CARVING OF A MYTHICAL BEAST

Ming Dynasty

明 黃玉瑞獸

The recumbent creature carved with a ferocious expression, teeth bared and eyes wides, all below a single horn rising from between two pointed ears, with a slightly-arched body supported by a quartet of powerful legs and terminating in a bushy tail, carved from a stone of a greenish-yellow tone, raised atop a fitted wood stand

7.2cm long

(2)

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PROVENANCE:

French Private collection

法國私人收藏

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NOTE:

A comparable Ming-period carving was offered at Sotheby's New York, 21 September 2021, lot 207. A related example sold at Christie's London, 28th March 2007, lot 175. Another similar example with its head turned to the left sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3rd October 2017, lot 3762.

Also compare two related examples, attributed to the Song-Ming Dynasty, one exhibited and published in 'Chinese Jades from Han to Ching', Asia Society, New York, 1980, cat. no. 49; and the other one published in Dr. Ip Yee, 'Zhongguo yudiao / Chinese Jade Carving', Hong Kong, 1983, pl. 147. See an earlier carving attributed to the Tang Dynasty, illustrated in J. J. Schedel, 'The Splendor of Jade', New York, 1974, pl. 5.