A SMALL WHITE JADE 'HARE' PENDANTTANG DYNASTY |

laying recumbent with its legs tucked into its plump sides and its head nestled between the shoulders, the ears resting atop the back, the rounded contours of the legs, face, and tail naturalistically rendered, the eyelids, whiskers, and fringes of fur finely incised, pierced through the back with four additional smaller holes at the belly, the stone an opaque creamy-white color streaked with fine brown veins

Collection of Jon Edwards.
Weisbrod Chinese Art, Ltd., New York.

A Private Collection of Early Chinese Jades, Weisbrod Chinese Art, Ltd. New York, 1994, cat. no. 12.

Robert P. Youngman, The Youngman Collection of Chinese Jades from Neolithic to Qing, Chicago, 2008, pl. 122.

The pendant is in good condition with only minor expected surface wear, including a small depressed area on the proper right thigh.
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.

The small hare is tenderly depicted in a natural pose and with careful attention to its anatomy, revealing the artisan's intimate familiarity with the animal. This naturalistic approach characterizes Tang dynasty jade carvings of animals, particularly small works carved from pebbles, such as the present. Compare a small yellow jade carving of a hare in the collection of the British Museum, published in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 26:9; and a similarly charming small white jade duck-form pendant in the collection of the Palace Museum, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware, vol. 2, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 10.