A Mystery from the East

I’m wondering if you’re able to enlighten me in respect of this Chinese sheep. I’m unsure of the material used – it’s a very cold stone. Could it be white jade? Is it a tourist piece that’s been made to look as though it’s from ancient times? Miranda Bozdogan, via email Your carving is indeed Chinese and is probably made from alabaster or another type of so" stone. The shape is interesting: it imitates an archaic bronze wine vessel called guang or gong. These were originally produced during the Shang dynasty (c1600-1046BC) and were used during rituals to worship ancestors in which the deceased would ‘consume’ the vapours emi#ing from the wine while the living would drink it. It’s typically carved as a stylised ram and incised with a

chilong (Chinese dragon) and phoenix. It’s a late piece made for the tourist market and is probably worth £40 to £60. AAD