A JADE CARVING OF A HORSE MING DYNASTY

finely carved in the form of a horse standing four-square with its head  tilted downwards drinking from a rippling stream, its tail swept alongside its right hind leg, the hair on its mane and tail detailed with fine incisions, the calcified stone of a creamy tone with honey-brown inclusions

Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 68.
Exquisite Jade Carving, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 102.

The overall condition is very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Confidently modelled with broad body and limbs that capture the innate strength and speed of horses, this piece is notable for its remarkable naturalism and calm ambience that exudes as it engages in its act of drinking. Carvers of the Ming period aimed to capture more than the mere physical likeness of subjects but to present a story and endow a certain character to their pieces through deliberate dramatisation of poses. Thus, works such as the present appeal both though their skilled manner of presentation as well as the subject matter that is caught in a moment in time to invoke a hidden narrative.

Compare a closely related example included in the exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, and illustrated in Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 40, London, 1973-75, cat. no. 364; and another sold in our New York rooms, 4^th December 1984, lot 108. The calcified surface gives this piece a deceptively early appearance.