AN UNUSUAL MOTTLED JADE CARVING OF A RECUMBENT HARE, HAN DYNASTY

拍品描述

AN UNUSUAL MOTTLED JADE CARVING OF A RECUMBENT HARE, HAN DYNASTY China, 206 BC-AD 220. Boldly carved in the round, the hare is depicted in a compact recumbent pose with all four legs tucked closely beneath its elongated body. The characterful head is sensitively created with prominent rounded eyes, a short, flattened muzzle detailed with curled nostrils and a longish mouth, behind which we find the pierced perforation for suspension. Most distinctive are the two exceptionally long, pointed ears swept tightly backward and lying flat along the length of the back, unequivocally identifying the animal as a hare. The rounded haunches rise gently toward the rear, lending the otherwise compact form a subtle sense of tension and vitality. The finely polished, semi-translucent stone is of an attractive bluish-celadon tone with light brown inclusions and delicate icy veining, one side and much of the back covered by extensive creamy-white alteration and russet-brown accretions. Dimensions: Length 8.9 cm The hare is among the earliest animals represented in Chinese jade carving, with small hare-shaped pendants already well established during the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties. The hare also acquired important symbolic associations in early imperial China. Closely connected with the moon and, ultimately, with ideas of longevity and immortality, the animal became an enduring element of Chinese visual culture. Within the context of Han jade carving, therefore, the choice of a hare as subject is particularly appropriate, jade itself being intimately associated with preservation, transcendence, and the immortal realm. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, China / 5000 Years, 20 May 2026, lot 3487 Price: HKD 204,800 or approx. EUR 23,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the Han dynasty dating, and the closely related compact three-dimensional carving. Note the considerably smaller size (5.4 cm).

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