A LARGE CELADON JADE 'LION AND CUB' GROUP 17TH/18TH CENTURY

the recumbent beast with head raised clutching a ribbon-tied ball in its jaws, its two cubs playing around its back and large bushy tail, the stone of pale celadon colour with light caramel inclusions around the mane and back of the body

Sotheby's London, 2nd May 1985, lot 235.

There is a chip to the end of the ribbon on the underside of the lion, a chip to one toe, and a few russet stained fissures to the lower half of the lion and its tail. There are also the expected minor nicks to the extremities.
"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."

Fashioned from a pebble of considerable large size, the carver of this piece has captured a sense of movement and liveliness in the rendering of the two cubs crawling on the back of the lion, who turns its head backward to look at them. Carvings of animals with their young grew in popularity during the Yuan and Ming dynasty and continued to be made in the Qing period.

A similar carving was included in the exhibition The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, Sotheby's, London, 2013, cat. no. 117; another attributed to the Ming dynasty, from the collection of Gerard Godfrey, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th October 1995, lot 877; and a smaller example was sold in these rooms, 7th December 1993, lot 93. Compare also a carving of a lion and a single cub, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages, vol. 12, Hong Kong, 1997, pl. 54; another in the Michael S.L. Liu collection, included in the exhibition Virtuous Treasures: Chinese Jades for the Scholar’s Table, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2008, cat. no. 104; and a third from the collection of The Hon. Edgar Bromberger, sold in our New York rooms, 12th September 2012, lot 360.