The Ming Dynasty was an imperial dynasty in China from 1368 until 1644, following the Yuan Dynasty. It was founded by the Hongwu Emperor after a period of unrest in which there were several rebel factions vying for power. Hongwu introduced a building programme, including defensive walls, palaces, and government buildings, and strengthened the military. During the Ming Dynasty, the country was highly organised under a provincial administration system. Many art forms flourished, including literature, painting, poetry, music, and opera, and the novel form became popularised. This artwork is from the Ming or the Qing dynasty, but it may be intended as an imitation of the style of the Warring States Period (c.475-221 BCE).

This rounded sculpture depicts an animal, perhaps a stylised lion, lying down with its four limbs curled underneath it. Its legs are curled upwards, so that its face is resting on its front two paws. Each paw has three fearsome claws. Curving lines are etched across its body; some represent anatomical details such as curls of hair, and others seem to be more decorative. Locks of hair curl back from its face, probably representing a mane. Its expression is ferocious, with round eyes opened wide underneath pronounced eyebrows and lips parted to show two rows of sharp teeth, including four large canines. Its tongue is also visible, curled upwards in the centre of its mouth. The dark brown of the stone lightens around the face, resulting in an almost orange colour. Two small holes have been bored beneath its chin, perhaps suggesting an intention to attach a string and wear it as an ornament.

Jade is a highly valued material within Chinese artistic culture, and has been used for thousands of years for ritual objects, ceremonial weapons, small figurines, and dress ornaments. Until the 18th century, all jade used in China was nephrite (one of the two varieties of jade, the other being jadeite). It was mainly sourced from the riverbeds of Yarkand and Hotan, in the present-day autonomous region of Xinjiang. The material was prized for its beautiful, almost translucent, quality and the variety of colours in which it could be found. Objects made from jade would have been valuable because of their beauty as well as the effort required to make them; jade is too hard to be carved or cut with metal tools, and it would have been necessary to drill or saw it.