A large white jade figure of a ram, Qing dynasty, 18th century | 清十八世紀 白玉臥羊銜穗

Although large jade carving of a ram such as the present lot is rare, the ram is a popular motif in Chinese jade carving, not only because its pronunciation sounds close to the pronunciation of the word xiang, 'auspicious', but also as a symbol of patience and kindness. See a related jade figure of a boy riding a ram, Qianlong period, in the Guimet Museum, Paris, accession no. MG95, published in Jade: From Emperors to Art Deco, Paris, 2016, cat. no. 127. For jade carvings of recumbent rams but in smaller sizes, 18th century, see two examples sold in these rooms, 8th April 2014, lot 3149 and 7th October 2015, lot 3777 respectively.