A SMALL GREY AND BROWN JADE BOTTLE-HORN DRAGON PENDANT

SHANG DYNASTY, CIRCA 1200 BC

細節

A SMALL GREY AND BROWN JADE BOTTLE-HORN DRAGON PENDANT
SHANG DYNASTY, CIRCA 1200 BC
The rather thick plaque in the form of a coiled dragon pierced with a hole, one side carved in thread relief with the nose, large eyes and bottle horns of the head and with the scrolls that detail the body and coiled tail, the plain reverse with an upper beveled area, the softly polished stone of mottled pale grey-green color with areas of russet-brown alteration
1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) long

來源

The Frederick M. Mayer Collection of Chinese Art; Christie's, London, 24-25 June 1974, lot 186.
Acquired in October 1974.

拍品專文

This small, unusual pendant was most likely carved from a fragment of a larger piece, and is of irregular thickness. The style of carving, with the details in low relief rather than in intaglio, is similar to other carvings of late Shang date, although no other dragon pendant of this form appears to be published. For a thick white jade pendant of a coiled bottle-horn dragon carved in similar fine thread relief, see J. Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum, 1995, p. 210, no. 12:3.