LATE WARRING STATES PERIOD TO EARLY WESTERN HAN DYNASTY, CIRCA 300-141 BC

Very few other jade ornaments from this period are as intricately carved as the present pendant, which is further distinguished by its white and even tone, with very little alteration. The dragons depicted on the present pendant have arched eyebrows, leaf-like horns, split-mouths, and arc-shaped jaws, which are similar in style to that found on jade ornaments excavated at the Changfeng, Lingzi and King of Nanyue tomb sites. The present pendant is pierced with a tiny hole on the left and right side for suspension, instead of a hole in the centre, suggesting that it would have been worn as the uppermost ornament in a string of group jade ornaments. compare with a slightly more altered ‘dragon’ jade ring of the same period from the Yangdetang Collection, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2756.