Chinese Zodiac Stone Bas-Relief Panels, Set of 3 — Dog, Monkey, Serpent

Three carved stone bas-relief panels depicting animals of the Chinese Zodiac — the Dog, Monkey, and Serpent — each rendered in confident low relief against a stippled ground within a molded border and projecting base. The carving tradition behind these panels traces to the Han dynasty, when zodiac animals were first produced as funerary and architectural ornaments, a practice that flourished through the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing periods. The Dog is shown seated beside a pedestal vessel; the Monkey crouches amid sinuous branch forms; the Serpents intertwine in a composition that fills the field with fluid energy. 

All three panels are included and sold together as a group.

CONDITION

Good. The bas-relief carving on each panel is intact with no losses to the figural subjects. Surface patination, minor mineral staining, and scattered dark deposits to the faces and edges are consistent with age. Chips are present to the rear edges of two panels; one panel shows iron-oxide staining and a dark inclusion streak on the reverse.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Height: 5.5"
• Width: 6.25"
• Depth: 1.25"
• Weight: 3 lbs each
• Material: Carved limestone
• Technique: Bas-relief
• Markings: None
• Quantity: 3 pieces (Dog, Monkey, Serpent)
• Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale