A fine yellow jade 'hound' paperweight Song/Yuan Dynasty

well carved as a reclining hound with its head turned slightly to the left and resting on its outstretched front paws, the hind legs tucked under its slender body, the tail curled alongside its left haunch, its ears, facial features and ribs well defined, the smooth stone of a yellow celadon tone with brown inclusions  

Jade carvings of hound-like dogs in a resting pose with outstretched legs can be found from as early as the Tang Dynasty, such as the carved figure included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Animals, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 68.  The present piece belongs to a group of distinctive yellow jade animals delicately carved in naturalistic poses, which appears to have been popular from the Song dynasty to the early Qing. 

Another crouching dog jade figure, attributed to the Song Dynasty, is illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London 1995, p. 366, pl. 26:10, where the author notes that 'hounds in jade may have been worn by those who wished to be known for their prowess in hunting.'  Compare the present piece with a later jade dog attributed to the Yuan/Ming Dynasty, sold in our rooms 23rd October, 2005, lot 20.