Jade, China. Late Eastern Zhou to Western Han period, 3rd - 2nd century BC

玉虎。東周代至西漢代，公元前3-2世紀。長13厘米，厚0.2-0.25厘米。維也納私人舊藏。

Like the previous piece, number 63, this jade is also the counterpart to famous museum pieces (see information below). The very memorable silhouette is about the same in all of these pieces which, however, differ in their decoration. Since time immemorial, the tiger hu has been a symbol of manly courage and boldness, and has been considered a dispeller of demons. From its lowered head to the powerfully formed tail, this flat jade depicts the animal in a very husky, muscular manner. The contours, for example, of the head, legs, claws or tail, are intensified by engraved lines which emphasize their shape. In addition, there are isolated decorative patterns compose of pointed C’s and S’s with volute tips. The tiger’s coat is indicate by just a few lines. The original color of the jade is almost white and this tiger was produced using the most valuable white jade baiyu. The reddish brown and white spots which have developed due to aging lend the tiger as a whole an interesting and stimulating coloration. Very good translucence, very well preserved polish and equally good general condition.

No. 108 in the publication “Radiant Stone” by Filippo Salviati is a similar, but larger piece with a somewhat differently depicted posture. The author identifies it as a “mythical animal”. An even huskier tiger is no. 438 in “Ancient Chinese Jades”, Fogg Art Museum, Massachusetts, which is also reproduced in both Salmony as well as Umehara’s book. A very similar piece is located in the American Freer Gallery of Art.

This jade will be published in FILIPPO SALVIATI: “THE MYSTERIOUS STONE: Chinese Jades from the Neolithic to the Han in private collections” (date of publication spring 2017).

Notes by Prof. Salviati: This finely crafted plaque worked in openwork with an incised decoration represents the late chronological development of tiger-shaped jades which were carved in ancient China from the 5th century BC to the Western Han dynasty. The sturdy body of the crouching tiger is embellished with delicate, incised curls and the rear haunches are decorated with differently oriented heart-shaped scrolls, similar to those carved on one side of the scabbard chape. The big head has an incised eye with a long eyelash, wide snout and a pointed horn-like protuberance: the jaw is open and the teeth are neatly carved. The long tail ends in volutes and a curled appendage protrudes from the centre of the back. The jade has an agate-like quality: it is translucent white with a large reddish patch at the top and some altered opaque white areas along the border. There are several tiger-shaped carvings in collections which can be compared to the present one: especially noteworthy are the tigers with similar curls protruding from the back which have been selected here for comparison. Two such plaques, originally in the collection of the famous Chinese dealer C. T. Loo (1889-1957) and then in that of Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) are in the Freer/Sackler Galleries, acc. nos. F1932.43 and F1932.44: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1932.43 http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1932.44 A third one in the Hotung collection is published in J. Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London 1995, no.17:13. Two more, including one of the finest known examples of this category of jades, are in the collection of Samuel and Myrna Myers: they have been recently published in F. Salviati, “Radiant Stones” section of the volume by J.P. Desroches (ed.), Two Americans in Paris. A Quest for Asian Art, Paris 2016, nos.15 and 155. Finally, a similar tiger-shaped plaque with a curl on its back was sold in a past auction at Galerie Zacke, no.CH0116-340: http://www.zacke.at/en/collection/18001/antique-jades/item/17724/expressively-crafted-tiger.

LENGTH 13 CM, THICKNESS 2-2.5 MM

Expertise: Wolfmar Zacken (description) & Fillipo Salviati (dating and expertise)
Jade, Late Eastern Zhou to Western Han dynasty, 3rd to 2nd cent. BC. China

??????????????3-2????13????0.2-0.25???????????

Like the previous piece, number 63, this jade is also the
counterpart to famous museum pieces (see information below).
The very memorable silhouette is about the same in all of these pieces which, however, differ in their decoration. Since time immemorial, the tiger hu has been a symbol of manly courage and boldness, and has been considered a dispeller of demons. From its lowered head to the powerfully formed tail, this flat jade depicts the animal in a very husky, muscular manner. The contours,
for example, of the head, legs, claws or tail, are intensified by
engraved lines which emphasize their shape. In addition, there are isolated decorative patterns compose of pointed C’s and S’s with
volute tips. The tiger’s coat is indicate by just a few lines. The original color of the jade is almost white and this tiger was
produced using the most valuable white jade baiyu. The reddish brown and white spots which have developed due to aging lend
the tiger as a whole an interesting and stimulating coloration. Very
good translucence, very well preserved polish and equally good general condition.

No. 108 in the publication “Radiant Stone” by Filippo Salviati is a similar, but larger piece with a somewhat differently depicted posture. The author identifies it as a “mythical animal”. An even huskier tiger is no. 438 in “Ancient Chinese Jades”, Fogg
Art Museum, Massachusetts, which is also reproduced in both Salmony as well as Umehara’s book. A very similar piece is located in the American Freer Gallery of Art.

This jade will be published in FILIPPO SALVIATI: “THE MYSTERIOUS STONE: Chinese Jades from
the Neolithic to the Han in private collections” (date of publication spring 2017).

Notes by Prof. Salviati:
This finely crafted plaque worked in openwork with an incised decoration represents the late chronological development of tiger-shaped jades which were carved in ancient China from the 5th century BC to the Western Han dynasty. The sturdy body of the crouching tiger is embellished with delicate, incised curls and the rear haunches are decorated with differently oriented heart-shaped scrolls, similar to those carved on one side of the scabbard chape. The big head has an incised eye with a long eyelash, wide snout and a pointed horn-like protuberance: the jaw is open and the teeth are neatly carved. The long tail ends in volutes and a curled appendage protrudes from the centre of the back. The jade has an agate-like quality: it is translucent white with a large reddish patch at the top and some altered opaque white areas along the border.
There are several tiger-shaped carvings in collections which can be compared to the present one: especially noteworthy are the tigers with similar curls protruding from the back which have been selected here for comparison. Two such plaques, originally in the collection of the famous Chinese dealer C. T. Loo (1889-1957) and then in that of Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) are in the Freer/Sackler Galleries, acc. nos. F1932.43 and F1932.44:
http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1932.43
http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1932.44
A third one in the Hotung collection is published in J. Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London 1995, no.17:13. Two more, including one of the finest known examples of this category of jades, are in the collection of Samuel and Myrna Myers: they have been recently published in F. Salviati, “Radiant Stones” section of the volume by J.P. Desroches (ed.), Two Americans in Paris. A Quest for Asian Art, Paris 2016, nos.15 and 155. Finally, a similar tiger-shaped plaque with a curl on its back was sold in a past auction at Galerie Zacke, no.CH0116-340:
http://www.zacke.at/en/collection/18001/antique-jades/item/17724/expressively-crafted-tiger.

HEIGHT 3.8 CM, WIDTH 6.5 CM

From a Canadian collection



Expertise: Wolfmar Zacken (description) & Fillipo Salviati (dating and expertise)