Lot Essay
Compare the small white jade figure of a bear carved in a similar standing position, and with similar features, found in the area of the tomb of the Han emperor, Yuandi (r. 48-33 BC), near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, which is illustrated by J. Rawson in Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum, London, 1995, p. 351, fig. 2(a). A yellowish-green jade bear shown in a seated position and with mouth open, which has similar eyes, dated to the Han dynasty, was sold at Christie's New York, 19 September 1996, lot 205.