A CELADON AND RUSSET JADE 'BUDDHIST LION AND CUB' GROUP, 17TH CENTURY China. The recumbent beast with its head turned to one side, holding a leafy lingzhi sprig in its mouth, the long ears flicked back, the face detailed with bulging eyes above a ruyi-shaped nose. The mane, tail, and ears are detailed with fine incisions. The cub similarly carved and holding the other side of the stem. The translucent stone of a deep celadon tone with dark russet areas and veining as well as cloudy white inclusions.

Provenance: An old English private collection, thence by descent in the same family. Old label to the wood stand reading 'Jade Kylin & young, Ming. Ex coll. […] Miss E.P. Hamilton'.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few small nicks to exposed areas. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.

Weight: 349.6 g (excl. stand)
Dimensions: Length 9.5 cm (excl. stand) and 10.2 cm (incl. stand)

With a well-carved wood stand. (2)

The depiction of a larger and a smaller Buddhist lion, 'dashi xiaoshi', forms the pun 'taishi shaoshi', which literally translates to 'may you and your descendant achieve high rank'.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's London, 10 May 2017, lot 81
Price: GBP 22,500 or approx. EUR 29,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large celadon jade 'lion and cub' group, 17^th/18^th century
Expert remark: Note the larger size (15.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 11 September 2012, lot 360
Price: USD 80,500 or approx. EUR 97,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pale celadon jade 'lion and cub' carving, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Note the larger size (17.5 cm).



十七世紀青玉留皮太獅少獅擺件
中國。整料青玉留皮雕琢而成。太獅如意形鼻，闊嘴露尖齒，大耳後垂，神情凜然威猛。背部脊骨突起分明，脊骨上刻劃鬃毛。太獅呈回狀，少獅趴在其尾部，前肢搭於太獅臀部，後足收於腹下，整體姿態鮮活，形像生動傳神。質地堅實，凝脂含光。

來源：英國私人舊藏，保存在同一家族至今。木底座上有舊標籤 'Jade Kylin & young，Ming. Ex coll. […] Miss E.P. Hamilton'（玉麒麟獸，小獸，明代，E.P. Hamilton小姐）。
品相：品相極好，輕微磨損，小刻痕。 具有天然内沁和裂縫的玉料，其中一些可能隨著時間的推移發展成細小的裂縫。

重量：349.6 克 (不含底座)
尺寸：長9.5 厘米 (不含底座)，總10.2 厘米

木雕底座。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2017年5月10日，lot 81
價格：GBP 22,500（相當於今日EUR 29,500）
描述：十七/十八世紀青玉太獅少獅擺件
專家評論：請注意尺寸較大(15.2 厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2012年9月11日，lot 360
價格：USD 80,500（相當於今日EUR 97,000）
描述：明代青玉太獅少獅擺件
專家評論：請注意尺寸較大 (17.5 厘米)。