A rare pale green and russet jade figure of a mythical beast


Ming DynastyThe dragon-headed beast seated with raised left knee, holding a lotus bud in the right paw and a string of beads in the left paw, its front rendered with breasts above a belly, finely detailed with an incised beard, a pair of long curved horns, a prominent spinal bone and scales at the back, drilled for suspension, the stone of a pale green to brown with russet inclusions, box. 5cm (2in) high (2).
|明 青玉帶皮雕坐獸Provenance:Christie's South Kensington, London, 4 September 2003, lot 106Durwin Tang Collection來源：佳士得南肯辛頓，倫敦，2003年9月4日，拍品編號106鄧德雍收藏Compare with a closely related jade figure, described as a horned demon, Song dynasty or earlier, illustrated by J.Rawson, Chinese Jade throughout the ages, London, 1975, no. 94. A further example, 3rd - 6th century is illustrated by R-Y.Lefebvre d'Argencé, Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1977, pp.68-69, pl.27. Compare also with another related jade figure, Ming dynasty, illustrated by G.Tsang, Chinese Jade Animals, Hong Kong, 1996, p.162, no.146.可參考一件宋或更早之帶角玉獸，見J.Rawson著，《Chinese Jade throughout the ages》，倫敦，1975年，編號94。另可參考一件三至六世紀之近例，見R-Y.Lefebvre d'Argencé著，《Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection》，三藩市，1977年，頁68至69，圖版27；香港藝術館展出一件類似的明代玉角獸亦資參考，見《中國肖生玉雕》，香港，1996年，編號146。