The animal is standing foursquare looking forward, his tail curved to the right. He is covered in a splashed amber glaze dripping round his belly, the hollow body open underneath. His rectangular base has splashes of glaze.

Similar figures apparently from the same mould exist in English, Dutch and Japanese public collections. Two similar figures were excavated from tomb no. 6 at Gushui, Luoyang, Henan Province, dating from the period of the Empress Wu (AD 624-705) or slightly later.

Literature: Anthony du Boulay, The Duberly Collection of Chinese Art at Winchester College (Winchester, 2019), p. 4

Provenance: Bequeathed as part of the Duberly Collection, 1978; purchased by Major Montague and Lady Eileen Duberly from John Sparks (£115); formerly in the Turner Henderson Collection, sold Sotheby’s, London, 7 May 1957, lot 14

Location: Treasury, Gallery 2