A statement piece. Glorious large, heavy horse head, skillfully carved from opaque, celadon green jade. There is a carved hole in the base of the neck for a metal attachment to a wooden body and there is some rust remaining in the hole.
An initial impression of aggression with the open mouth and very visible teeth gives way to one of humour and smiling with the very soft and sympathetic carving evident in the nostrils, eyes, ears and mane. From any angle, this is a striking piece. There are two similar, slightly smaller, heads in the Harvard Art Museums,

Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).

At over 4" high, 9" long and 3" deep and weighing a remarkable 3.4kg, the piece comes with a custom made Lucite presentation stand.

Provenance: ex-The White Collection, Hong Kong