A WELL-CARVED GREY AND BLACK JADE FIGURE OF AN ELEPHANT

MING DYNASTY, 16TH-17TH CENTURY

Details

A WELL-CARVED GREY AND BLACK JADE FIGURE OF AN ELEPHANT
MING DYNASTY, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
Possibly carved from a large pebble, the somewhat flattened figure with wrinkled hide shown standing with head turned and tailed flicked to the same side, with a branch bearing two plump peaches resting beside a flowering stem on the back, the opaque pale grey stone with areas of added black coloring
6 in. (15.2 cm.) long, wood stand

Provenance

Joshua Lionel Cowan Collection.

Lot Essay

A jade figure of an elephant dated 15th-17th century shown standing in the same position as the present figure and with similarly carved features, but of smaller size (3¼ in. long), carved from a grey-green stone with russet markings, is in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and illustrated by d'Argencé, Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, Japan, 1977, p. 101, pl. XLIII, where the author notes, p. 100, that in Buddhism the elephant is regarded as one of the Seven Treasures and in a broader context is a symbol of strength, wisdom and power.

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