Jade figurine ‘Four Heavenly Beasts’, Western Han Dynasty

Carved jade of a light-green hue with ochre and reddish flecks. In the lower part, supporting the composition, is a large turtle, its shell filled with hexagons in relief, an upturned head and a snake coiled around its body. Above this is a disc or ‘bi’ on which rests, in relief, an elongated dragon with open jaws and sharp fangs on one side, and a slender tiger with a fierce gaze and large claws on the other. Finally, crowning the composition is a phoenix with wings folded over its body, a large sinuous tail and a sharp curved beak. 

In Chinese mythology, these four mythological beasts are depicted together, symbolising the four cardinal points, the four natural elements and the four seasons of the year. Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 8) or later.

Size: 15 x 3.1 x 6.2 cm

Weight: 442 g