A WHITE JADE 'DRAGON' SCABBARD SLIDE HAN DYNASTY

very well carved in high relief with a qilong dragon, its sinuous body crouching low on its haunches and sweeping back to a long curling bifurcated tail, the facial features well defined, the smoothly polished white stone mottled with areas of calcification

Exquisite Jade Carving, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 178.

The overall condition is quite good. The polish is a little rough and there is a 3.5 cm vein in the stone.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present piece is remarkable for the high-relief carving of the qilong dragon, which shows an advanced confidence of the carver over the medium. A closely related example in the Simon Kwan collection was included in the exhibition Chinese Archaic Jades from the Kwan Collection, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 217; and another was sold in our New York rooms, 15^th June 1983, lot 106. Compare slides similarly carved but with variations of the qilong decoration; such as one with a simplified dragon included in the exhibition Jades from China, The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 1994, cat. no. 133; and another with two qilong illustrated in Wang Zhangju, National Treasure Collection of Rare Cultural Relics of China, Xi'an, 1999, p. 146.