A PALE GREEN AND RUSSET JADE ‘TIGER’ PENDANT, SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD

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A PALE GREEN AND RUSSET JADE ‘TIGER’ PENDANT, SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD Expert’s note The present plaque is an excellent representation of Eastern Zhou dynasty jade craftsmanship. At once powerful and fine, elegant and subtle, the carving demonstrates the utter mastery of the material as well as the advanced development of complex and dynamic designs. China, 770-475 BC. Finely carved, of flattened form, the powerful feline depicted in a crouching pose, its legs tucked beneath its striped body terminating in a curling tail and a large head with a prominent snout, each pierced with a small circular aperture, all richly detailed with subtle grooving and neat incision work. The smoothly polished, translucent stone is of an appealing pale green tone with russet patches, cloudy inclusions, and areas of opaque ivory-white calcification. Dimensions: Length 11.7 cm The tiger, called ‘hu’ or ‘laohu’ in Chinese, is among the most recognizable charismatic megafauna worldwide. Originating in China and northern Central Asia, the tiger was known to the earliest Chinese, who likely feared, admired, and respected it for its strength, ferocity, and regal bearing. Although precise symbolism during the Shang dynasty remains unknown, the tiger certainly fulfilled a totemic, tutelary, and talismanic function. By the Western Han period, the tiger was regarded as the ‘king of the hundred beasts’, due to its power and ferocity, as well as distinctive forehead markings that commonly resemble the Chinese character ‘wang’, meaning ‘king’. In addition, not only did the tiger figure among the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, but it gained a place among the auspicious animals that symbolize the four cardinal directions: the White Tiger, or ‘baihu’, of the west, the Azure Dragon of the east, the Vermilion Bird of the south, and the Black Tortoise of the north. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related jade tiger-shaped pendant, dated to the Spring and Autumn period, 12.5 cm long, excavated from the tomb of Meng, the monarch of Huang State, Baoxiangsi, now in the Henan Provincial Museum, and illustrated by Gu Fang, The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 5, 2005, p. 188; and three further closely related examples in the same museum illustrated ibid., p. 190 and 193. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 23 September 2020, lot 568 Price: USD 403,200 or approx. EUR 450,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, motifs, manner of carving, stone, and subject. Note the size (14 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 November 2024, lot 1045 Price: HKD 403,200 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related form, manner of carving, and motifs. Note the closely related size (12.3 cm).

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