This Jade Majestic Beast is truly one of the most significant in collection. Consider the following:

01. The Jade is Nephrite. An ordurate,tough and hard material to manipulate and here such a superb sculpture for evaluation.

02. The nipple bosses on the upper portions of limbs gives a tentative date of the Han Dynasty.

03. In design and technical skill,this is among the top ten in any collection of Han Dynasty Jades. Notice the superb head,tail and details on body.

04. There is a hole drilled from the top of body to the belly.

05. Reminiscent of the Large Imperial Stone Chimeras lining the path to the Royal Tombs of the Han to Qing Dynasties Emperors.

06. The design form is unorthodox and has a slight resemblance to  the Babylonian Lion  of the Nile,perhaps during the Mesopotamia era.

Though damaged,still considered this as one of the most significant in the Combined Collections. Visit the Friends of Jade website to update on Jade.