Recumbent Horse in Xiuyan Jade

Catalog note

This Xiuyan jade (Xiuyu) recumbent horse demonstrates the traditional lapidary art of qiaose (clever use of natural inclusions) and xiangse (reading the stone), where the carver yields to the stone's organic structure rather than imposing harsh geometric lines. Crafted from a soft, waxy serpentine, the piece utilizes smooth, fluid contours to evoke the resting posture of the horse while allowing the stone's internal clouding, natural veining, and subtle color shifts to define muscular volume and surface texture. By polishing along the material’s natural flow, the artist preserves the tactile, rounded feel of a river pebble (zi liao), showcasing a masterwork of yin cai shi yi—sculpting in complete harmony with the raw mineral's innate characteristics.