A yellow and russet jade 'nine dragon' rhyton, Qing dynasty, 18th century | 清十八世紀 黃玉帶皮雕九龍戲珠角盃

This magnificent drinking horn is intricately carved with a mass of swirling dragons and clouds. Accentuated by the piece's natural russet inclusions, these dragons are rendered in astonishing detail and represent the heights of imperial jade carving. Though archaistic jade rhytons featuring pairs of chilong dragons can be traced back to the Song dynasty, pieces of this style and technical excellence are practically unheard of. 

The 'nine dragon' motif, symbolising imperial power and good fortune, appears most famously on a wall of Ningshougong (Palace of Tranquil Longevity), installed there in 1771 by the Qianlong Emperor. For other examples of striking jade vessels of this type, compare a related Qing brush washer in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese jades], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, p. 226, pl. 333.