Jade bowl ‘Twelve Signs of the Zodiac’, Qing dynasty

Light-coloured jade with light brownish veining, carved in the shape of a bowl with a circular base and a stepped mouth. It is meticulously decorated with a succession of cartouches depicting, in pairs, the twelve animals attributed to the signs of the zodiac, dressed in long robes and holding traditional Buddhist elements in their hands. Separating each section are vegetal motifs in relief, in the form of a column. The piece is accompanied by a wooden base carved with openwork motifs of flexible bamboo branches. 

Height jade: 6 cm; Diameter: 11.5 cm 

Weight of jade: 450 g