A LARGE VARIEGATED GRAY JADE FIGURE OF A WATER BUFFALO 17TH CENTURY

carved in recumbent pose with legs tucked under the well-rounded body, its head with ribbed curved horns turned to one side, the tail swished against the haunches, the polished stone of pale gray tones with extensive grayish-black mottling and veining and some russet staining, opaque buff-gray coloring on the underside

Bulgari Collection, Rome.
Estate of Richard J. Robertson.
Sam and Annette Mandel Collection, Palm Beach.
Sotheby's New York, 22nd March 2000, lot 24.

Weisbrod 30 Years: An Anniversary Exhibition, Spring 2002, March 19-26, New York, 2002, no. 35, p. 120.

There is a chip to the tip of the ear and a polished chip to one horn. There are expected fissure lines some filled.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A much larger related jade buffalo in the collections of Colonel Arthur Jebb and the Rt. Hon. Lord Gladwyn, sold in our London rooms, 1st November 1966, lot 47, was included in the exhibition Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, The British Museum, London, 1995, cat. no. 26:19, where Rawson discusses (pp. 375) this group of impressive carved jade figures of reclining buffaloes and horses, whose material is quite unlike that used for smaller animals in its opacity and deep color. She also remarks on the difficulty of dating these pieces since "they do not match other types of Ming sculpture, nor is the stone or style of carving typical of the Qing period" and adopts the "traditional date of the Ming to Qing transition".