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A striated pale grey jade carving of a recumbent ram, Song…
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Sydney
Date:
21-Nov-2019
Lot No.
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Description:
A striated pale grey jade carving of a recumbent ram, Song Dynasty 6 cm long, 79g. Provenance: Douglas J. K. Wright, Oxon UK, 11 February 2003 (receipt, bought for £4,600). Private collection, United Kingdom thence by descent. Private collection, Sydney. The ram is kneeling, with four legs folded under the body. The overall carving is simple, however with details dealt with extreme care and realism. Its face is carved in planes, an important feature of animals dated from the period. The eyes are incised, with the irises dotted in low relief, a rare feature of such carvings. The nose, ears, cheeks and mouth are worked with lines, reliefs or planes with subtle details, revealing themselves ever more lovely with the changing reflection of the light. The two horns are decorated with ribbed patterns, the beard lightly curled up and lined to show strands of hair. The tail is small, with a dimple-like hollow on each side to accentuate the tail bone. The hooves underneath the body are carved differently between the front and hind legs, with hind legs showing soles due to the way they fold when the animal reclines. The side of the top of each hoofs are further incised to show the covering fur. For examples of rams from the same period with similar designs and carvings, see Chinese Jade Animals, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1997, Hong Kong, pl. 91, 93, and 94, p. 116 to 199, and Roger Keverne eds., Jade, Anness Publishing Ltd, 2010, London, pl. 23, p 121 to 122. In the Keverne example, the planes of the ram's face are visible, as well as other details similar to the current lot.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Antiquities: Asian