A PAIR OF JADE TIGER PLAQUES, EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY

A PAIR OF JADE TIGER PLAQUES, EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY China, 8th-3rd century BC. Each plaque of flattened form and well carved as a four-legged beast in profile, the back arched slightly and the tail curled, the fur pattern neatly incised, the mouth agape as the tiger pounces on its prey. The translucent stone is of a pale celadon tone with opaque calcification of ivory white color. Condition: Good condition with wear and possibly minor old repairs. Provenance: Estate of Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022), co-founder of Galerie Zacke, thence by descent. Weight: 17.4 g Dimensions: Length 5.4 cm (each) Literature comparison: Several related jade tigers have been published, including one in Yang Boda, Zhongguo yu qi quan ji [The Complete Compilation of Chinese Jades], Vol. 1, Shijiazhuang Shi, 2005, p. 217, pl. 3. Another jade tiger was excavated from tomb 1 at Caomen Bay, Guojiamiao, Zaoyang, Hubei province, and is now in the Hubei Provincial Museum, published in Phoenix Reborn: Chu Jades Excavated from Hubei, Wuhan, Hong Kong, 2017, pl. 7. Auction result comparison: Compare a related but larger jade tiger plaque, also dated to the Eastern Zhou, at Sotheby’s New York, 23 September 2020, lot 568 ( sold for USD 403,200).