Details
AN IMPORTANT JADEITE PLAQUE PENDANT
The thick, translucent brilliant green slab carved in the antique style with a pair of confronted dragons grasping a pearl on either side of a shield shaped plaque, carved in relief with the archaistic character ruyi on one side and jixiang on the other, representing a wish for good fortune and all that your heart desires
length 56.7 mm, thickness 8.5 mm
The thick, translucent brilliant green slab carved in the antique style with a pair of confronted dragons grasping a pearl on either side of a shield shaped plaque, carved in relief with the archaistic character ruyi on one side and jixiang on the other, representing a wish for good fortune and all that your heart desires
length 56.7 mm, thickness 8.5 mm
Further details
The motif of confronted dragons surrounding a plaque appears in jade from as early as Han dynasty. This form was often seen as objects of rank such as military tallies giving generals the right of command. In these pieces the dragons represented imperial power, while the plaque usually bore a royal inscription. This pendant takes the ancient design and updates it, with the dragons surrounding an auspicious rather than political message. Nethertheless, the thickness and scale of the piece remains impressive, while the archaic pattern retains its potency.