A WHITE JADE LION AND CUB MING DYNASTY

the well-polished translucent white stone carved with a lion seated on its hind legs with its head turned sharply to the right, its large round eyes framed by bushy brows, the cub striding-up alongside

Hei-Chi, Jades from the Hei-Chi Collection, Beijing, 2006, p. 178.

The overall condition is very good with only a few minute nicks along the brows, nose and tip of the tail of the larger lion and the brow of the smaller lion. The stone is quite even in tone with exception of a long vein near the hind quarter of the larger lion.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Compare a related carving sold in our London rooms, 7^th June 1994, lot 107; and another included in the exhibition Jades from China, Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 1994, cat. no. 291. The ferocity created by the open-work fangs revealed through the open mouth is rarely found on Ming carving and highlights the skill and creativity of the carver. Compare a Han figure of a chimera with a similarly rendered face, in the collection of W.P. Chung, included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 126.

Carvings of animals with their young were a popular motif in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The archaistic ears and the flat-cut mouth are typical features of jade animal carving in the Ming period.