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Lot Essay
By the 5th-4th century BC, S-shaped dragon plaques were widely popular and frequently found in the tombs from Qi and Lu states in Shangdong as well as the Han, Zhao and Wei states in Henan. One notable example of this type of dragon pendant, dating to the Warring States period, was uncovered in the tomb of the king of Zhongshan and is illustrated by Gu Fang in Zhongguo Chutu Yuqi Quanji (The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China), vol. 1, Beijing, 2005, p. 143. Another stylistically similar jade dragon plaque but incorporating an unusual conjoined immortal figure in the design was excavated from Chu tomb no. 4 at Xiongjiazhong, Jingzhou, dating to the Warring States period, is illustrated by F. J. Zhang and J. Xu in Phoenix Kingdoms: The Last Splendor of China’s Bronze Age, Berkeley, 2022, p. 85, no. 13.
The present plaque is exceptionally rare due to its large size, completeness, and the presence of a four-character inscription carved on the narrow edge of the dragon’s neck. The inscription, likely reading jiu bai ji nian (九百己年), may be interpreted as “900, in the year of ji.” The precise purpose and meaning of such inscriptions on jade carvings remain a subject of scholarly inquiry.
In her online workshop presentation Chong Shen Shuzi Yuqi (Re-examining Numbered Jade Carvings), Shanghai, January 2025, Jenny So suggests that these inscriptions, often minute and discreetly placed, could indicate an inventory system used for keeping track of jade collections. Professor So argues that the peak of high-quality jade carving production occurred during the middle to late Warring States period and early Western Han dynasty. Collecting archaic jades became fashionable during the middle to late Western Han dynasty, reflecting a cultural emphasis on heritage and prestige.
As noted by Professor So, during the Western Han dynasty, kings and marquises valued jade carvings not only as treasured family heirlooms but also as imperial gifts or spoils of war from earlier dynasties. According to the Records of the Grand Historian written by the Han-dynasty historian Sima Qian, in the chapter Annals of Qin Shi Huang, when Emperor Gaozu of Han defeated the Qin and entered Xianyang, he “sealed the palaces and treasuries... and collected the precious treasures and wealth, which were then divided among the nobles.” Possessing jades from prior dynasties symbolized noble status and served as recognition for contributions to the founding of the Han state. Thus, kings and marquises implemented strict protocols for documenting and managing their jade collections, developing systematic methods to catalog these artifacts using inventory numbers.
Only a few examples of jade dragons bearing such inventory numbers have been published. Among them are two from the Harvard Art Museums, inscribed with zhong si san (middle 43) and zhong ba er (middle 82), respectively. These are illustrated by J. F. So in Early Chinese Jades in the Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 2019, pp. 210–213, nos. 25B and 25C. The rarity and complexity of such inscribed jade dragons underscore their cultural and historical importance, providing valuable insight into ancient Chinese practices of jade collection and the symbolic roles these jades played in dynastic and noble contexts.
The present plaque is exceptionally rare due to its large size, completeness, and the presence of a four-character inscription carved on the narrow edge of the dragon’s neck. The inscription, likely reading jiu bai ji nian (九百己年), may be interpreted as “900, in the year of ji.” The precise purpose and meaning of such inscriptions on jade carvings remain a subject of scholarly inquiry.
In her online workshop presentation Chong Shen Shuzi Yuqi (Re-examining Numbered Jade Carvings), Shanghai, January 2025, Jenny So suggests that these inscriptions, often minute and discreetly placed, could indicate an inventory system used for keeping track of jade collections. Professor So argues that the peak of high-quality jade carving production occurred during the middle to late Warring States period and early Western Han dynasty. Collecting archaic jades became fashionable during the middle to late Western Han dynasty, reflecting a cultural emphasis on heritage and prestige.
As noted by Professor So, during the Western Han dynasty, kings and marquises valued jade carvings not only as treasured family heirlooms but also as imperial gifts or spoils of war from earlier dynasties. According to the Records of the Grand Historian written by the Han-dynasty historian Sima Qian, in the chapter Annals of Qin Shi Huang, when Emperor Gaozu of Han defeated the Qin and entered Xianyang, he “sealed the palaces and treasuries... and collected the precious treasures and wealth, which were then divided among the nobles.” Possessing jades from prior dynasties symbolized noble status and served as recognition for contributions to the founding of the Han state. Thus, kings and marquises implemented strict protocols for documenting and managing their jade collections, developing systematic methods to catalog these artifacts using inventory numbers.
Only a few examples of jade dragons bearing such inventory numbers have been published. Among them are two from the Harvard Art Museums, inscribed with zhong si san (middle 43) and zhong ba er (middle 82), respectively. These are illustrated by J. F. So in Early Chinese Jades in the Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 2019, pp. 210–213, nos. 25B and 25C. The rarity and complexity of such inscribed jade dragons underscore their cultural and historical importance, providing valuable insight into ancient Chinese practices of jade collection and the symbolic roles these jades played in dynastic and noble contexts.