A BLACK AND WHITE JADE 'MYTHICAL BEAST' PAPERWEIGHT MING DYNASTY

finely worked in the round as a recumbent mythical beast with its legs tucked underneath its body, its head turned to the back, detailed with rounded eyes beneath bushy eyebrows

This naturalistic carving is notable for its animated playful pose, accentuated through the full rounded form of the body, knobbly spine and detailed tail. A sense of subtle movement is captured through the natural through the natural mottles of the stone, which has been skilfully used to highlight the fur of the animal. Compare a jade figure of a recumbent dog, from the collection of Mr and Mrs Paul Toller, included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 248, and sold at Christie’s London, 8th December 1986, lot 496.