A JADE GROUP DEPICTING AN EAGLE AND BEAR ('YINGXIONG')

Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)

The jade group depicts the Classic subject of the eagle and bear, known as yingxiong, a popular rebus for ‘hero’. The eagle is carved perched atop the bear, with their respective heads turned towards each other. The variegated colour of the jade has been cleverly used to enhance the design, with the eagle worked into the paler skin of the jade, while the bear has been carved out of the green areas.

Provenance
The Kirknorton Collection

Literature
Naturalism & Archaism: Chinese Jades from the Kirknorton Collection, Carter Fine Art Limited, Hong Kong, 1995, Catalogue No. 59