A finely modelled Chinese porcelain figurine of a seated hound. Recovered from the Ca Mau shipwreck, an 18th-century Chinese junk that sank in the South China Sea off the southernmost point of Vietnam between 1723 and 1735. The wreck yielded roughly 130,000 pieces of porcelain cargo. Only 150 or so of these dogs were onboard the ship. The animal is rendered in a naturalistic manner with much attention given towards the rendering of the anatomy and facial expression. The dog is wearing a chain with bell around the neck. The statuettes would have been originally completely glazed, however this has now faded away due to the erosion by sea water. You can see evidence of the sea water wear on areas of the dog. Date: Circa early 18th century Period: Qing Dynasty Provenance: From the Ca Mau shipwreck sank between 1723-1735, recovered in 1998. Condition: Extremely fine, complete and intact. Original glaze missing due to sea water exposure. One leg repaired.