A CHINESE YELLOW AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF A MYTHICAL BEAST

A CHINESE YELLOW AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF A MYTHICAL BEAST
QING DYNASTY

The beast depicted crouching on its four powerful legs as if preparing to pounce, its head turned backwards, detailed with raised eyebrows above bulging eyes, finely incised mane and ridged spine terminating with a bushy tail sweeping across its left haunch, the stone of a greenish-yellow tone with some patches of russet, together with a wood stand, 11.8cm. (2)

Cf. J Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pp.373-374, pl.26:17, for a related Ming dynasty jade carving; see also Christie's Hong Kong, 3rd June 2015, lot 3188, for another carving of a mythical beast.

清 黃玉雕瑞獸