A large pale celadon jade 'Lion and Cub' group, Qing dynasty, 19th century
Lot 580. A large pale celadon jade 'Lion and Cub' group, Qing dynasty, 19th century. Length 6 5/8 in., 16.8 cm. Estimate 30,000 — 50,000 USD. Lot sold 200,000 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.
crisply carved as a recumbent lion with the head turned to the left with one front paw resting on a small cub, the heads detailed with large rounded eyes, ruyi-shaped snouts, the mouths agape to reveal rows of teeth, the mane and fur worked in neat spirals flanked by a pair of flattened ears, the ridged spines extending to bushy tails, the stone of even color tinged with a bluish hue.
Provenance: Collection of Janis H. Palmer (1917-1984).
Gifted to The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, in 1986 (acc. no. 1986.958).
Sold by The Art Institute of Chicago.
Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 20 March 2019