The Personal Collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung. Lot 17. A jade animal-shaped plaque, Late Eastern Zhou - Western Han dynasty, 3rd - 2nd century BC; 14.8 by 6.9 by 0.5 cm. Lot sold: 16,105,000 HKD (Estimate: 800,000 - 1,200,000 HKD). © Sotheby's 2022

worked in the form of a beast with an undulating silhouette, the head of the beast portrayed bent downwards, rendered with a prominent and broad snout ending in an arc-shaped tip, the muscular body terminating in a bifurcated tail, incised on the narrow edge with three undeciphered characters.

Provenance: Artistic Sources Arts Co., Hong Kong, 5th August 1992.

Literature: Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing , London, 1995, pl. 17:13.

Exhibited: British Museum, London, on loan, 1995 and 2002-15.

Note: The present piece, ingeniously modelled as a fantastic horned animal in profile, is a tour de force of jade craftsmanship of the late Eastern Zhou dynasty. It captures the power of the animal through its large head, strong fangs, and powerful legs terminating in sharp claws. Through dynamic contours, meticulously incised curves and subtle bevelling, the artisan transformed the thin jade plaque and successfully portrayed the muscularity of the beast.

It belongs to a fascinating group of exquisitely carved and finely polished animal plaques made in the Eastern Zhou period. These plaques were part of larger ornamental assemblages that included numerous pendants connected by a silk rope and suspended from a belt worn on or above the waist. While they have been recovered in burial contexts, they were not considered tomb goods but rather treasured personal belongings that the deceased would have worn in his lifetime. When walking, the plaques would gently knock each other, producing a tinkling sound that "signed physical and moral elegance and restraint, admired qualities in Confucian circles" (Jenny F. So,  Early Chinese Jades in the Harvard Art Museums , Cambridge, 2019, pp. 188-9). 

This type of jade ornaments is generally referred to as 'tiger plaques'. With a horn on its forehead, a broad arc-shaped snout and a bulging neck, Regina Krahl argued that such an animal "differs markedly from the usual depictions of tigers and dragons" but shows the characteristics of rhinoceros ('The Vignier Jade Pendant: A 'Tiger Plaque' with Rhinoceros Features',  Important Chinese Art , Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 3rd April 2019, lot 3620).

See three comparable pairs of 'tiger plaques' with rhinoceros features: a larger pair in the Cleveland Museum of Art, detailed with raised bosses on the bodies and stylised dragons on their haunches, is published in J. Keith Wilson, 'A Pair of Chinese Jade Plaques',  The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art , vol. 80, no. 4, April 1993, pp. 127-30, cover and fig. 1; another pair, also with raised swirls, reputedly from Jincun, Luoyang, Henan province, in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington DC, is included in the exhibition  Chinese Art of the Warring States Period. Change and Continuity, 480-222 BC, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1982, cat. no. 96; and the third pair of swirl-decorated plaques from the Winthrop collection in the Harvard Art Museum is illustrated in Max Loehr,  Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University , Cambridge, Mass., 1975, pl. 438. A further single jade plaque, much larger in size and its body detailed with swirls and zoomorphic motifs, similarly inscribed on the edge with two characters , formerly in the collection of Charles Vignier, was sold in these rooms, 3rd April 2019, lot 3620, from the Sam and Myrna Myers collection.

A smaller arced jade pendant in the shape of a rhinoceros with bosses was excavated from the tomb of Zhao Mo, who ruled from 137-122 BC, during the Western Han dynasty, as King of Nanyue in the far south; see  Zhongguo chutu yuqi quanji /The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China , Beijing, 2005, vol. 11, pls 81 and 123. 

The beast-shaped jade pendant has a concise and powerful shape, and is exquisitely carved. Its giant head and fangs, strong muscles and sharp claws, with fluent lines, curved and straight, outline the striking posture of the beast, showing the high development of jade carving craftsmanship in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. The body of the beast is finely carved and incised, full of rhythm, and the embossed decoration is vague. When viewed in the sun, the light is slightly diffuse, highlighting the vigorousness of the beast. 

Similar to the Eastern Zhou beast-shaped beast, it is meticulously pondered, the design is smooth and simple, refined and refined, and there is no redundant place. Only a few strokes have clearly captured the spirit of the beast. At that time, nobles used this kind of jade as a set, tied with silk thread, or as a necklace, or hung from a belt. Although similar examples are often found in excavations, such a noble object reflects the status and power of the tomb owner, and it should be worn during his lifetime, which is not an ordinary tomb utensil. According to ancient books, a gentleman wears jade. When walking, the jade and stones touch each other, making a crisp sound. In addition to being elegant, he is restrained and reserved, which is in line with the degree of a Confucian gentleman (Su Fangshu, "Early Chinese Jades in the Harvard Art Museums", Cambridge, 2019, p. 188- 9).

The beasts on such jade scorpions are generally called tigers, but this scorpion beast has a sharp forehead, a broad nose, and a sharp arc at the top and bottom. Moreover, the shoulders and necks are thick and prominent, highlighting the burly and martial posture of large animals, which is the characteristic of rhinoceros (Kang Ruijun, "Old Vigne Collection of Animal Shaped Pei", "Chinese Art Treasures", Sotheby's, Hong Kong, April 3, 2019, cat. 3620).

Refer to three rhinoceros-like rhinoceros in the museum collection: a pair in the Cleveland Museum of Art, larger in size, finely inlaid with valley patterns, and inscribed with fine lines on the legs to simplify the dragon pattern, see J. Keith Wilson, "A Pair of Chinese Jade Plaques" ”, The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, No. 80, No. 4 (April 1993), pp. 127-130, also published on the cover and in Figure 1; a pair of examples are also in the collection of the Freer Art Museum, Washington , from Jincun, Luoyang, Henan Province, exhibited in Chinese Art of the Warring States Period. Change and Continuity, 480-222 BC, Freer Art Museum, Washington, D.C., 1982, cat. 96; Fogg Art, Cambridge, MA There is also a pair in the museum collection, recorded in Luo Yue, Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, 1975, pl. 438. Another can be compared to Charles. Vigne, Sammy, and Mana Miles handed over a Tibetan jade pendant. The size is extraordinarily large. The animal body is decorated with valley patterns and inscribed dragon and phoenix patterns. Two characters are engraved on the edge, also unidentifiable. Passed through Hong Kong on April 3, 2019 Sold at Sotheby's, lot 3620.