A FINELY CARVED YELLOW JADE DOG MING DYNASTY

superbly worked in the form of a recumbent dog with its head turned towards its back, depicted with one paw gently placed atop the other, the slender body detailed with ribs to the sides and a spine extending along the body and terminating with a curled tail, the warm greenish-yellow stone and its russet skin skilfully worked to render a brown lower body with a streak of russet to the left ear

The carving is in overall good condition. There are expected minor surface wear and slight areas of pitting and bruises to the stone. The catalogue illustration is slightly warmer than the actual colour of the stone.
"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."

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 jade animals delicately carved in naturalistic poses, popular from the Song dynasty to the early Qing dynasty. Their utilitarian function was as paperweights, but it is likely that such high-quality, sensitively rendered sculptures were kept as 'playthings' for scholars or wealthy patrons. In this particularly fine example, the natural interplay between the russet skin and yellow jade has been skilfully utilised in the dynamic contrast between the rich dark-brown lower body and luminous greenish-yellow body flushed with a streak of russet up to the left ear.

A crouching jade dog from the collection of Sir Joseph Hotung, attributed to the Song dynasty, is illustrated in Ip Yee, Chinese Jade Carving, Urban Council of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, no. 134, and again by Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, 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’ (p. 367). Compare also a white jade carving of a dog from the Zhirouzhai collection, attributed to the Song dynasty, included in the exhibition Exquisite Jade Carving, Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 85, and sold in these rooms, 8th October 2008, lot 2312; and a white jade figure of a dog sold in these rooms, 8th April 2010, lot 2056.

Another closely related yellow and russet jade dog from the collection of Ip Che, depicted with similar coiling of the tail is illustrated by Ip Yee, ibid., no. 156, where he dates it Song to early Ming dynasty, arguing that this type of yellow jade is frequently found in the 14th and 15th century, and that the animal has lost some of the classic features of a Song dog, such as the particularly sharply defined spine and ribs.