A rare Chinese celadon jade carving of a Buddhist lion dog and a puppy probably Yuan/Ming dynasty, crouching with her head turned inwards away from her puppy which climbs up her back, her nose raised and her spine and coat well defined, a four character mark to her flank which reads Tian You yu zhi (made for Imperial use in the Tianyou period), the stone with brown and russet markings, 6.5cm.

Cf. A Forsyth and B McElney, Jades from China, p.317, no.230, for a related example dated to the Southern Song or Yuan dynasty. See also Bluett & Sons Ltd., Dr Newton's Zoo, no.13.

The Tianyou period was a reign of the Tang emperor Zhaozong (888-904 AD).