A small celadon jade carving of a mythical beast, longma, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century
Lot 3242. A small celadon jade carving of a mythical beast, longma, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century; 1 7/8 in. (4.9 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 50,000 - HKD 70,000. Price Realized HKD 25,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2010
The mythical beast depicted as a recumbent horse resting on a sea of swirling waves with its head sharply turned to rest beside a stack of ribbon-tied scrolls on its back, the softly polished stone with russet and grey inclusions well-used within the carving.
Provenance: Acquired in the late 1980s from the Marcel Griffon Collection, Nice, France, who was a prominent dealer and collector in Middle Eastern, African and Oriental art from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 1 December 2010, Hong Kong