A WHITE AND BLACK JADE CARVING OF A BUDDHIST LION AND CUB 17th centuryTHE PROPERTY OF A BRITISH FAMILY 英國家族藏品A WHITE AND BLACK JADE CARVING OF A BUDDHIST LION AND CUB17th centuryThe recumbent beast crisply carved with large bulbous eyes beneath bushy brows, its large head turned slightly to the right, clasping in its jaws a large sprig of auspicious lingzhi fungus, the finely incised mane extending down the back with knobbly spine, beside it a smaller cub gazing up, the stone of pale mushroom-grey tone with dark brown patches. 9cm (3 1/2in) wide. 十七世紀 玉雕太師少師擺件Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., LondonJoseph (1938-2005) and Bella (1941-2011) Shapiro, acquired from the above on 24 April 1989, and thence by descent Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Spink & Son Ltd., The Minor Arts of China IV, London, 1989, no.167來源： 倫敦古董商 Spink & Son Ltd.Joseph Shapiro (1938-2005)和 Bella Shapiro (1941-2011)舊藏，在1989年4月24日由上處購得，並由後人保存迄今展覽著錄： Spink & Son Ltd.，《The Minor Arts of China IV》, 倫敦, 1989年, 編號167The composition of the written symbol for the lion is intended to show that this animal is the master of the feline race. The representation of a larger and a smaller Buddhist lion, dashi xiaoshi (大獅小獅), forms the pun taishi shaoshi (太師少師), which can be understood as an auspicious wish for 'May you and your descendant achieve high rank'.Compare with a similar pale greyish-green and black jade 'Buddhist lion' group, 17th/18th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 5 December 2019, lot 199. See also a related white jade 'Buddhist lion and cub', 17th century, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2017, lot 3062.sold_price_type: £