A JADE 'DRAGON' PENDANT WARRING STATES PERIOD

the flattened plaque freely carved as a stylised dragon, its slender arched body terminating in a bifurcated tail, finely carved on both sides with 'rice-grain' scrolls, the stone of a translucent, pale, green tone with black speckling

Exquisite Jade Carving, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. no. 164.

The edges have have some minor nicks and there is a minute bruise to the corner of one of the edges, but the overall condition is very good.
"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."

Elegantly modelled in an elongated and tightly-curved s-shape, the present piece is notable for its powerful sinuous form and deeply-carved body. Dragon-shaped jades made a sudden appearance among the range of jades used in pendant sets in the fifth century BC. By the fourth century BC, dragon pendants of this type were popular and are widely represented in tombs from the Zhongshan state at Pingshan Xian in Hebei province. The writhing form of the dragon derives from the dynamism that characterised bronze castings, which saw great development during the Warring States period. The demand for jade objects to be created at an equivalent quality to bronze, coupled with the new ideas of animal representation, saw jade-working bring a near three-dimensional character out of the hitherto flat surfaces that had been ornamented only with incised line-work.

A closely related dragon pendant in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 17:10; another was sold in our New York rooms, 3^rd December 1986, lot 5. Compare also similarly decorated dragon pendants, but of various s-shapes, such as the pieces from the Simon Kwan collection, included in the exhibition Chinese Archaic Jades from the Kwan Collection, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. nos 177-182; another included in Wang Zhangju, National Treasure Collection of Rare Cultural Relics of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, 1999, p. 116; and a group of carvings in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, published in Max Loehr, Ancient Chinese Jades, Cambridge, Mass., 1975, pls.  419-436. Further examples were sold in our New York rooms, 4^th December 1985, lot 9, and 1^st June 1988, lot 22; and a pair was sold at Christie's London, 17^th June 1982, lot  22.