A carved pale green jade 'qilin' double-sided plaque

18th/19th century

18th/19th century
The flat plaque carved with a crouching qilin seated with its head turned back and eyes in an intent gaze beneath its horns, beside a beribboned scroll and a flying bat, the details of its scales and bushy tail finely rendered, the polished stone of an even pale tone with very few cloudy and russet inclusions. 8.3cm (3 5/8in) wide.

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Provenance: a distinguished Italian private collection formed circa 1930s-1940s, and thence by descent

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The important Italian collector lived and worked in Shanghai between 1932 and 1936, as representative of his Italian company and in 1937, following the Sino-Japanese war, was transferred to Dalian in Southern Manchuria. After a brief period spent in Italy in 1938, he returned to Shanghai where he lived between 1939 and 1940. He then moved to Beijing where he lived between 1941 and 1946 and formed the vast majority of his collection of Chinese Art.