Jade. Eastern Zhou, late Spring and. Autumn period,
6th – 5th c. BC
é¾ç´‹çŽ‰ç’§ – æ±å‘¨, 春秋晚期, 公元å‰6世紀-å‰5世紀
直徑 8,3 厘米; 孔徑 2,9 厘米; 密 0,5厘米
This small disc in white, translucent jade with a hole in the centre was used together with other jade ornaments in the composition of necklaces and pectorals worn by aristocrats during the Eastern Zhou period. Both sides of the disc are decorated with a similar, though not identical pattern formed by tight, fat c-shaped scrolls. The scrolls are arranged in two layers and placed either vertically or horizontally on the disc’s surface: two tiny, plain bands mark the border of the disc and the contour of the central hole. On each side of the disc, two stylized dragon heads in profile emerge from amidst the scrolls. The heads are recognizable by virtue of the minute eyes incised on the jade: despite their small size, the dragons have clearly defined snouts, mouths, horns and bodies which mimic the shape of the scrolls. The two sides of the disc are also partly covered by the remains of reddish soil and metal residues: this last feature suggests that the ornament, when placed in the tomb, was in contact with some metal artefacts. Despite these encrustations, the jade retains its original translucency and white colour. Similar decorative motives are often seen on jade items discovered in Eastern Zhou tombs excavated in the southern Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
This jade is published in Filippo Salviati, Mysterious Jades of Ancient China, Edition Zacke 2014.
DIAMETER 8.3 CM, INNER HOLE 2.9 CM - THICKNESS 0.5 CM
From an Austrian private collection