A WHITE JADE FIGURE OF A MYTHICAL BEAST 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, 2 7/8 in.

Provenance:
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.