Lot 3236. A small pale grey jade elephant and boy carving, Late Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century; 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm.) wide.Estimate HKD 40,000 - HKD 60,000. Price Realized HKD 37,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2010 

Carved in the round as a playful boy clambering up onto the back of a recumbent elephant, its head turned to the side, its ears, tail and trunk finely detailed, the softly polished pale grey stone with some darker black striations.  

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