Chinese? Carved Soapstone Stylized Lion; Older?

I say Chinese as it has nothing remotely Japanese about it, to my eye...an' China has made a lot of carved soapstone art over many years. I've not seen soapstone of such singular colors before this, though.
The gray base is ~7 1/4" long by ~3" wide; the lion's head is ~3 1/8" above the base. Weight is 21 1/2 ounces.
He has a few dings; they show as white spots, from careless handling & storage...I suppose a touch of wax will reduce those somewhat. As the last pic shows, the bottom of the base is far from smooth or flat, though it sits well, without rock or wobble.
I can't imagine he's very old, but have no real basis for that opinion except for the extreme stylization represented. Is he early 20th C?
Your thoughts are welcomed, an' thanks for lookin'!