A GRAY JADE FIGURE OF A MYTHICAL BEAST, 17TH CENTURY China. The recumbent beast carved with its feet tucked under the body, the bushy ruyi-shaped tail swept to the side, the face incised with two almond-shaped eyes above a wide nose, the ears and muscular limbs detailed with scroll designs. The translucent stone of a pale gray tone with dark gray specks and cloudy inclusions.

Provenance: From an old English private collection, and thence by descent in the same family. Old label to the wood stand reading 'Siberian jade of Chinese workmanship. Recumbent dragon. Late 17th cent. 27'.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear and possibly some microscopic nicks here and there, near-invisible to the naked eye. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks. The wood stand with minor wear and few nicks.

Weight: 132.4 g (excl. base), 158.7 g (incl. base)
Dimensions: Length 7.2 cm

With a well-carved and fitted wood stand dating to the later Qing dynasty. (2)

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's London, 4 November 2009, lot 15
Price: GBP 7,500 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved jade mythical beast, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving with similar scroll designs to the ears and limbs. Note the slightly different pose.



十七世紀灰玉雕神獸
中國。臥獸埋雕足於身下，濃密的如如意狀的尾巴掃向一側，臉龐上刻著兩隻杏仁狀的眼睛，寬鼻，肌肉矯健。 淺灰色的半透明玉石，帶有深灰色斑點和絮狀物。

來源：英國私人老收藏，保存在同一家族至今。木底座上標籤'Siberian jade of Chinese workmanship. Recumbent dragon. Late 17th cent. 27'（西伯利亞玉，中國雕刻，臥龍，十七世紀末，27）
品相：狀況極佳，有輕微的磨損，一些微小的肉眼幾不可見的刻痕。玉石有天然的内沁和裂縫，其中一些已經發展成細小的細縫。木架有輕微磨損和少量刻痕。

重量：132.4 克 (不含底座), 158.7 克 (含底座)
尺寸：長7.2 厘米

鏤空雕刻晚清木底座。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2009年11月4日，lot 15
價格：GBP 7,500（相當於今日EUR 12,500）
描述：明代玉雕神獸
專家評論：比較非常相近的雕刻風格，例如：帶有蜷曲紋路的耳朵和四肢。請注意姿勢稍微不同。