A PALE GREY JADE 'QILIN AND BOOK' CARVING QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

the fabulous animal depicted recumbent with hoofed legs tucked underneath the rotund body and its head turned to the left, depicted with an alert expression with flaring nostrils and round eyes framed by bushy eyebrows, with finely detailed mane and scales, its mouth issuing a stream of scrolling ruyi clouds supporting a book covered in floral diapers on its back, the translucent stone of a light grey colour mottled with black specks

The jade is in overall good condition. There is a tiny chip to the edge of the ruyi clouds emanating from the qilin's mouth, as well as the expected minor nicks to the extremities.
"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."

Notable for its large size and heavy weight, a similar carving was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 374; and a pale green jade version, with the book sliding off of the ruyi scroll-covered back of the qilin, was included in the exhibition Jade as Sculpture, Minnesota Museum of Art, St. Paul, 1975, cat. no. 11. See also a larger example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 94.

According to the Liji (Book of Rites), written from the Warring States Period to the Qin and Han dynasties, Fuxi, the first of the three legendary rulers of ancient China, was observing all under heaven when he saw a creature emerge from the river. This creature had the form of a horse, the head of a dragon and the scales of a fish, thus containing the essence of both heaven and earth. The markings on the creature's back inspired Fuxi to invent the eight trigrams, which led to the invention of writing, represented by the book on the creature's back. Later writings described the creature as appearing when a sage ruled the land.