Tiger

Light green with few green mottles, this mis-proportioned crouching tiger is impressive for its large rectangular head and elongated tail, coiled upward. Its horns, eyes, ears, and legs in relief are symmetrically arranged on the body. The semi-gaping mouth is exposed with a deep indentation which is connected to a pilot hole below. The compact body resting on four legs is robust. Shallow-relief and grooves are used to achieve for a simple representation.

Animals sculpted in jade were far more common during the Shang period than during the prehistoric era. The superstitious belief of the Shang people in divine animals was an ancient tradition that prevailed in the eastern region in the neolithic period. Wearing animal pendants seems to have been inspired by the belief that the essence of jade would convey the power of divine animals to the live human beings who wore the jade. Dragons, tigers, turtles, bird, and fish were of particular concern to the Shang people. Quite a lot of jade tigers in three-dimensional or plaque form have been unearthed from Shang tombs in Henan. 1 One or two holes are pierced in the back, the mouth, or the tail. Single and double lines in intaglio are employed for features and cloud patterns on the body. The three-dimensional tigers without holes, however, are different from plaque pendants in function. They are thought to have been protective creatures buried in tombs.

(published: d'Argence 1977: 30)
1. Zhongguo yuqi quanji (Collection of Chinese Jade) Hebei meishu chubanshe 1993 vol. II: 64-67.