A PALE CELADON AND BROWN JADE ‘BUDDHIST LION’ BELT BUCKLE, MING DYNASTYChina, 1368-1644. Finely carved as a coiled Buddhist lion facing the front, its large bulging eyes above a wide snout and the grinning mouth framed by a curling mane. The tail and mane remarkably well incised. The reverse with two horned dragon heads and a knob with yin and yang motif encircled by a band in the form of a twisted rope. The translucent stone of a pale celadon tone with areas of brown and cream, and thin brown veins.Provenance: British trade.Condition: Good condition with some wear, minor losses, few small nicks, the stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into hairline cracks.Weight: 107.9 gDimensions: Length 9.5 cmExpert’s note: This jade belt buckle, when turned around, can also be used as a brush rest and washer, a feature that surely delighted the scholars of the period.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 9 October 2019, lot 117Price: HKD 50,000 or approx.EUR 6,850 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A white jade ‘Buddhist lions’ belt buckle, Qing dynasty, 19th centuryExpert remark:pare the related motif and size (8.9 cm).Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonham’s San Francisco, 24 June 2014, lot 8006Price: USD 5,625 or approx.EUR 6,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Mottled Jade Belt Buckle Depicting an Elephant, 17th/18th CenturyExpert remark:pare the similar shape, design and size (7.7 cm). Note the different motif.明代青白玉褐斑太獅帶鈎中國，1368-1644年。玉雕太獅，面朝前方，如意形鼻，闊嘴露尖齒，大耳後垂。太獅憨態可掬。寬大的鼻子上方凸出的大眼睛，捲曲的鬃毛環繞著咧嘴笑的嘴巴。帶鈎背面有兩個龍頭和一個陰陽圖案的鈎鈕。淺青色半透明玉石，有褐色斑和白色區域。