A LARGE SCABBARD SLIDE WITH TAOTIE MASK
A LARGE SCABBARD SLIDE WITH TAOTIE MASK
White jade
China, late Qing period, end of 19th, early 20th century
The top of this flat large scabbard slide has one extremity decorated with a Han-inspired mask-like animal face. The face is finely detailed and carved with wavy lines, curls and scroll-shaped patterns, while the rest of the surface is adorned with regularly arranged bumps. The underside is plain and unadorned with a protruding rectangular element between the area where the scabbard passed and the edge.
The white jade is covered with considerable areas of amber, light and dark brown and some black and white speckles here and there.
Dimensions: LENGTHS 11.9 CM, WIDTH 3.7 CM
Condition: The back shows some signs of calcification and the jade has turned opaque and rough, especially where there are nicks and pitted areas
Provenance: From an Italian collection