Mythic beast

Light-greenish jade, with gray flaws and brown veins and infusions, has been worked to form a beast lying on the ground. The creature has lowered its head and turned its body to the right. Its forelegs extend forward under its head, coming together in a triangle. A shallow-relief fungus head forms it's the beast's nostrils, beneath which its mouth is deeply carved. Incisions delineate the eyes, ears, and tail. The undersides of the hooves are concave.

This figure's ambiguous features are reminiscent of those of both a deer and a horse, but the fungus, symbol of immortality, identitifies it as a mythic creature. Legendary beasts were widely crafted during the Qing period, mostly designed from the imaginations of the craftworkers, following no standard models.