A large and rare celadon and russet jade ram-form waterpot, Western Han dynasty

Acquired in Switzerland, 27th March 1979.

Minimally carved yet naturalistic in form, this exceptional jade ram is typical of the highest quality of animal carvings produced by the end of the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE - 9 CE). Embracing the attractive varied tone of the jade material, particularly the richly dappled russet inclusion on the ram's left side, the ancient artisans were able to render this water pot remarkably true to life while also celebrating the prized qualities and captivating color of the stone.

Although vessels of this type, hollowed out as a container, are typically termed 'water pots,' their original use is now lost to time. However, whatever its function, the presence of a loop to the figure's rear, presumably once attached to a string of some kind, is a clear indication of the piece's treasured status: whether carried by a scholar to wet his brush or by a shaman as a container for medicine, this early jade masterpiece was clearly a prized possession to be kept close at hand at all times. Compare other treasured ram-shaped vessels from the Han dynasty, including a gilt-bronze lamp excavated in 1987 from Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province, illustrated in Shanxi Qingtongqi / The Shaanxi Bronzes, Xi'an, 1994, pl. 320.

It is extremely rare to see a jade ram of this size, let alone one hollowed out as a vessel. Compare a related ram-shaped water pot with an intact cover, dated to the Han dynasty, from the collection of the Qing court, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Jadeware (I), Hong Kong, 1995, p. 239, no. 200, where a russet inclusion has been similarly exploited to highlight the figure's head; another closely related Western Han water pot from the collection of Huang Jun (1878-1951), sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th November 2016, lot 3201 (Fig. 1); and another very closely related Han period jade ram figure, without an opening, from the collection of Raymond and Frances Bushell, sold at China Guardian Hong Kong, 2nd October 2017, lot 346.

This serene, pastoral scene of a recumbent goat continued to be a popular motif for Chinese jade carvings even well into the Qing dynasty. Compare a related water pot and cover from the Qianlong period, sold in our London rooms, 6th November 1973, lot 345, and again at Christie's Hong Kong, 29th September 1992, lot 750.