Carved jade figure, ‘Bear’, Eastern Zhou dynasty

Jade carving in the shape of a bear, brown in colour with a reddish patina due to age. It is in a squatting posture, with its hands resting on its knees, facing forward, as well as its face and feet. Both the sides and the back of the body are decorated with incised scrolls with great skill. Bears were animals that frequented mountains and forests, so it is common to see them depicted on the body-coverings. Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-221 BC) or later.

Size: 5.6 x 2.6 x 2.5 cm

Weight: 57 g