A mottled grey and black jade figure of a foreigner, Yuan dynasty | 元 玉胡人戯獅

Strikingly carved with a vivid depiction of a foreigner, this jade figure is a document of a time when various cultures and ethnic groups were brought together in a unified empire in China. The Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) was a time when foreigners were found in all strata of society and must have been a familiar sight in China’s major cities and ports, as the Mongol rulers entrusted people from different nationalities with government positions and the vast extent of the Mongol empire facilitated international trade. Depictions of foreign figures became popular, usually characterized by broad faces and curly facial hair, as seen on the present piece. Jade figures are, however, very rare.

 

A smaller (4cm in height), yellow and russet jade figure of a foreigner riding an elephant, from the Peony Collection, included in the exhibition Jades from China, The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 1994, cat. no. 226, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 27^th November 2020, lot 543. Later examples include a slightly smaller greenish-yellow and russet jade figure of a foreigner, attributed to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), sold at Christie's New York, 19th March 2008, lot 418 and most recently in our Hong Kong rooms, 9^th October 2022, lot 172, also from the collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung.