With constant warfare as a central part of life during the Zhou dynasty, weaponry made of jade or with jade parts proliferated. Plaques such as these, with a shield-shape formed by a pointed ended oval body, derive from archer's thumb rings. Originally made from leather, these rings prevented the thumb from harm when the bow string is pulled. Archer's rings date as early as the Shang dynasty as manifested by archaeological evidence from Anyang. From the Warring States period however, the ring gradually lost its utilitarian function as a practical object for archery, becoming flat and purely ornamental. |The present lot is a fine example of the skilful craftsman's ability to carve in openwork to portray a sinuous dragon in silhouette. The large size of the plaque is noteworthy and would have been costly to make and procure. Compare a much smaller calcified beige-yellow pendant of similar form and decoration, Warring States period, from the Zhirouzhai collection, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2008, lot 2374.|此韘形佩為青玉，局部白沁，片狀，上端有尖鋒，中間有一圓孔，因酷似雞心形，故又稱雞心佩。兩面雕紋，左右側鏤雕螭龍紋，刀法精純流暢，具有戰國時期的時代特徵，值得收藏。|韘形佩是由古人射箭時保護手指用的韘演化而來的佩飾器，最早出現於商代，延續至西周、春秋、戰國，盛行於漢代。戰國時期的玉韘造型開始變短，外帶勾榫，從套指鉤弦之物發展為純粹的佩玉，造型也出現了片狀作品，本拍品為一例。|此佩尺寸較一般戰國時期的韘形佩大，可見此佩用料奢侈，加上其細膩雕工，從而能推斷此佩原可能為有身份地位之人所擁有。知柔齋舊藏一件尺寸較小的玉雕龍紋韘形佩可資比較，後售於香港蘇富比，2008年10月8日，編號2374。