A large archaistic nephrite pebble-shaped vessel
Qing dynasty
The oval-sectioned boulder deeply hollowed out on the interior, its exterior walls fronted with a horned animal mask emitting wave-shaped vapors to each side of a chest with overlapping scales extending across the base and shared by chimera on the opposing side, its dragon head with one undercut whisker overhanging the rim and its foliate-shaped wings terminating in trailing lines of squared C-scrolls, the various sections of raised relief textured with intricately incised parallel lines or double-delineated outlines; the mottled gray-green matrix with natural hairline fissures displaying a 'skin' of richly varied golden-russet hue.
5 1/2in (14cm) long
Footnotes