According to Professor James C.Y Watt a characteristic of Song animal carvings is the position of the front paws on top of each other. This lying dog (or badger) has its front paws crossed and probably dates from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) but an earlier date cannot be ruled out. The carving was acquired in Amsterdam in the 1970's. Length 5.6 cm. Width 2.0 cm. Height 2.2 cm. Weight 26.8 grams.