A JADE CARVING OF A 'MYTHICAL BEAST' MING DYNASTY

finely carved from a large pebble in the form of a mythical beast crouching on its haunches accented with sharp talons, the facial features well defined with bulging eyes and a snout nose below pointed ears and one single horn at the forehead, with ridges delineating its spine and a finely incised bushy tail swept alongside its right haunch, with swirling flames encircling the haunches, the smoothly polished black stone with a small area of calcification to the surface and splashes of puce, beige and aubergine, later fitted wooden stand 

A Private Japanese Collection.