Jade. China, Eastern Han dynasty, 25-220 AD

A very elegantly executed piece. The large dragon is curled in an S-shape and has a split tail. The larger part of the tail, which forms a circle, ends in a phoenix head. At the base is another, smaller phoenix whose head is held close to the other phoenix's head, so that the phoenixes might seem to be mother and child. The other part of the tail ends in a dragon head, near which is a third phoenix emerging from the neck of the main dragon. This fanciful, dynamic and lively composition is well ordered and, above all, perfectly executed. Very fine line patterns with spirals and grids have been engraved. Signs of aging with whitish calcification as well as some browning; yellow to red-brown colors when back lit.
HEIGHT 8.4 CM, THICKNESS 5 MM
Condition: Well and completely preserved, points of corrosion in certain areas, see images online.
Provenance: From an Austrian collection.

Comparative literature/Archaeological sites: There are no exact counterparts to this rather unique carving: however, the strongly emphasized s-shaped body of the dragon is seen on two comparable pendants of similar shape and proportions but without the additional animals: one was auctioned at Christie’s New York on 16 September 2010, sale 2509, lot 979, and the other is in the collections of the Shanghai Museum (reproduced in Zhang Wei, "The Splendour of Chinese Jades", Orientations, May 1997, pp.34-38, fig.7).



All jades in this catalogue have been professionally examined, authenticated and dated by Univ. Prof. Fillipo Salviati. Professor Salviati teaches Chinese and Korean art at Sapienza University in Rome, in the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies. He is a world expert on archaic Chinese jades, having released multiple publications and being cited by renowned auction houses such as Sotheby’s.

Expertise: Wolfmar Zacken