A PALE CELADON AND RUSSET JADE FIGURE OF A DOG, 17TH-18TH CENTURY China. The dog is carved with its hind legs tucked beneath its body, and the head turned back towards the curled tail. The face incised with bulging eyes below arched eyebrows. The translucent stone of a very pale celadon tone with russet veining and specks.

Provenance: From the personal collection of Susan Chen, Hong Kong, and thence by descent in the family. Susan Chen (d. 2014) was a prominent Hong Kong collector and dealer during the 1980s and 1990s. A long-time member and supporter of the Oriental Ceramics Society, she created the Sze Yuan Tang and Feng Wentang Collections together with her husband Anthony Hardy. Her collections consisted of a wide range of objects, from modern paintings and calligraphies to bronzes, ancient ceramics, and jades, which the couple collected for more than 30 years. In 2016, Bonhams sold parts of the jade collection, which at the time was hailed as the most successful sale of the last decade in this category, reaching a total of HKD 178,000,000.
Condition: Excellent condition with some old wear. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Some microscopic nicks here and there.

Weight: 44.1 g
Dimensions: Length 4.6 cm

The motif of a hound is usually associated with fidelity, high rank, and status in Chinese culture. Early representations of jade dogs were probably linked to the identity and aspirations of particular individuals.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's London, 3 November 2021, lot 134
Price: GBP 5,040 or approx. EUR 6,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A celadon jade figure of a dog, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related color of the jade and similarly carved face, tail, and paws, as well as the related size (5.5 cm)


十七至十八世紀青玉帶皮臥犬
中國。臥犬後腿藏在身體下，頭部轉向捲曲的尾巴，大耳後垂，憨態可掬，活潑可愛。半透明的玉料呈灰青色，帶有赤褐色的脈紋和斑點。

來源：香港 Susan Chen私人收藏，在同一家族保存至今。Susan Chen (2014年逝世) 曾是上世紀八九十年代香港著名的收藏家和經銷商。作為東方陶瓷學會的會員和支持者，她與丈夫Anthony Hardy一起創辦了四元堂和奉文堂收藏。 她的收藏範圍廣泛，從現代書畫到青銅器、古代陶瓷和玉器，這對夫婦收藏了 30 多年。2016年，邦瀚斯出售了部分玉器藏品，這在當時被譽為過去十年該類別中最成功的拍賣，總價達到178,000,000港幣。
品相：狀況極好，有一些磨損。具有天然內含物和裂縫的玉料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些已經發展成細小的裂縫。 局部有刻痕。

重量：44.1 克
尺寸：長4.6 厘米

狗在中國文化中意味著忠誠、高貴和地位。玉狗可能與其主人特定個體的身份和願望有關。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2021年11月3日，lot 134
價格：GBP 5,040（相當於今日EUR 6,000）
描述：明代青玉臥犬
專家評論：比較相近的玉石顏色，以及臉部、尾巴和腳掌雕刻；尺寸相近 (5.5 厘米)。