A CELADON AND RUSSET JADE HOUND SONG/MING DYNASTY

carved recumbent with head turned to the side and resting on the front paws, the hind legs neatly tucked beneath the arched body, the stone of pale celadon tone with russet inclusions

The jade hound is in overall good condition.
"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."

Playful carvings of jade hounds fashioned in reclining poses and with their tail curled against their body were popular from the Song to Qing periods; compare a jade hound unearthed from the Yuan dynasty tomb of Zhu Shoucheng and his wife at Gucun, Shanghai, illustrated in Jade Wares of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing Unearthed from Shanghai, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 143; and another in the British Museum, London, published in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade. From the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 26:10, where the author notes that these early carvings of hounds 'may have been worn by those who wished to be known for their prowess in hunting', p. 367. Another similar jade dog was included in the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch’ing, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 38; one is published in Thomas Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pl. 78; a third from the Hei-Chi collection was included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 135; and a fourth was included in the exhibition Metal, Wood, Water, Dire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 2002.