Left: length; 10.5 cm, width; 3.9 cm, height; 5.3 cm Right: length; 10.3 cm, width; 3.8 cm, height; 5.15 cm

          The original light green jade is visible where one of the horns of the rams was chipped, but even much of it too appears mottled brownish-yellow in color. Traces of textile and cinnabar are also still visible in the details. This pair of stocky rams appears standing with their heads slightly lowered. The compact features, such as the horns and short legs, suggest that they were carved originally from rectangular blocks of jade. The eyes were also rendered simply as round forms, and a coarse line represents the mouth. The bodies are undecorated with only abbreviated descriptions to suggest the torso, limbs, and hooves. Even traces of the carving are still apparent on the undersides.

          The first part of the late Shang dynasty (also known as the early Yin-hsu Phase) is marked by numerous sculptures of animals, which are mostly covered by various spirit-cloud patterns and designs. Few are undecorated. A jade like this pair is in the Sedgwick collection, and a jade bear in a Japanese collection has, in addition to its plain and stocky features, eyes rendered in a similar manner.