Tianhuang, 'Yellow Field', is the most treasured of all soapstones from the Shoushan region, Fujiang province. The colour of tianhuang stones varies from greyish to golden yellow, and is often suffused with red net-like markings known as 'radish veins', as can be seen in the present boulder.

It is very rare to find tianhuang carvings of such exceptionally large size. Compare with a tianhuang recumbent lion from the collection of Wu Pu Xin, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 October 2006, lot 916.