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Six Dynasties Jade Lion
About the Item
Six Dynasties (220 A.D. to 589 A.D.) winged lion carved in green jade. This piece was exhibited at the Bauer Collection in Geneva, Switzerland (Nov. 11, 2020 to May 23, 2021) and the Musee Des Arts D'Extreme Orient in Nice, France (June 12 to Sept. 19, 2021) as part of the exhibition Genesis of the Celestial Empire -- the jades of the Myers Collection.
The lion is lying down with his head turned to the left, his mouth open and teeth bared, his tail curled over his haunches, one of his wings visible on his right shoulder. The carving is finely detailed, with the eyes gazing forward flanking the well-pronounced snout with small indentations for the nostrils, framed by ridged face edges with small incisions simulating the fur, the tip of the tail also with incised lines delineating the fur, additional incised lines suggesting fur along the spine and behind the powerful legs. There is some calcification on the lion's right side, as well as some brown ferrous spots, which give an added sense of realism to the animal's coat.
Jade, as a material, had an important role in practices related to the attainment of immortality and beliefs in the afterlife in Ancient China. The hardness of jade, its resistance to the action of time, made it the perfect, tangible metaphor for immortality and the ideal material to carve auspicious objects to be placed in a tomb and give life to the supernatural creatures inhabiting the spirit world.
The Sixth Dynasties, the period immediately following the Han Dynasty, saw a shift from a profound belief in the afterlife to a more humanistic and Confucian set of principles. Gradually dissociated from animistic properties, jade ornaments in the shapes of the dragon, phoenix, tiger, and eagle, as well as lions and bears, originally symbolic of clan-families’ spiritual gift, or innate virtue, took on new interpretations as Confucian gentlemen’s virtues: benevolence, rectitude, wisdom, courage, and integrity.
This animal, with wings but no horns, is one of the auspicious creatures figured in Han funerary art that continued to enjoy popularity in later tomb sculpture. It is represented in a typically fierce stance, with its mouth open to show its teeth and and its body coiled in a slight crouch, as if ready to pounce. The emphasis is put on its strength, menacing attitude, and compressed muscular energy.
The piece is also pictured in the book The Beginning of the World: Dragons, Phoenix and Other Chimera (Lienart Editions, 2020), on page 173.
- Dimensions:Height: 1.8 in (4.58 cm)Width: 3 in (7.62 cm)Depth: 2.4 in (6.1 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:220 AD to 589 AD
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:Seller: 56321stDibs: LU7220243185682
About the Seller
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1stDibs seller since 2022
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