Lot Essay
Cf. a group of such animals currently on display at the National Palace Museum, Taibei, included in the exhibition of Curio Cabinets and Miniatures.
The carving and form of this deer can be compared with the subtle nuance of Northern Song animal carvings, notably a white jade lingzhi-horned recumbent deer illustrated in Zhonggu Yuqi Quanji, vol. 5, no. 123. This deer, however, is a Qing dynasty piece almost certainly from Suzhou where the craftsmen were well-known for carving jade animals which frequently incorporated traces of the russet pebble skin into their composition.
For another example of a white and russet jade carving typical of the Suzhou workshops see Chinese Jade Carving, no. 284, a frog and two pomegranates.
Another doe that is comparable for the simple but elegant carving and posture, recumbent with one leg raised, also for the incised lines along the spine is illustrated in Anthology of Chinese Art, Catalogue, 215.
The carving and form of this deer can be compared with the subtle nuance of Northern Song animal carvings, notably a white jade lingzhi-horned recumbent deer illustrated in Zhonggu Yuqi Quanji, vol. 5, no. 123. This deer, however, is a Qing dynasty piece almost certainly from Suzhou where the craftsmen were well-known for carving jade animals which frequently incorporated traces of the russet pebble skin into their composition.
For another example of a white and russet jade carving typical of the Suzhou workshops see Chinese Jade Carving, no. 284, a frog and two pomegranates.
Another doe that is comparable for the simple but elegant carving and posture, recumbent with one leg raised, also for the incised lines along the spine is illustrated in Anthology of Chinese Art, Catalogue, 215.