Jade. China, Late Eastern Zhou, early Western Han period, 3rd - 2nd century BC 龍,獸面紋玉璜 - 東周晚期, 西漢早期, 公元前3世紀-前2世紀 This very striking and intricately carved ornament in openwork has a design that is similar to the previous pendant, no.32, with two dragons that share the same arched body: however, in the present case the body of the dragons runs along the bottom of the pendant, and not on top, like in the previous lot. The necks and heads of the dragons curve upwards at the extremities and stop on both sides of a fairly large taotie-type face. The bottom side of the pendant is embellished with elegant and symmetrical volutes and curls. The mixture of openwork, carved and incised decorations creates an interesting interplay. Carved lines and curls describe the dragons’ facial features, while the body is adorned with a mixture of c-shaped-, heart-shaped- and half-curls arranged in a symmetrical pattern. The central mask at the top is richly detailed and adorned with small volutes. The heavily altered ornament is carved from a lovely light green jade that is more visible when looked at directly. However, when held to the light, the jade is an exquisite amber, with many patches and speckles of brown and black, and striations of white. The surface is covered with a heavy patina of white which is present in all the carved lines, further enhancing the design: there are also many orangey speckles and encrustations. One of the lateral curls has broken off. Although there are no exact counterparts for this striking arched ornament, the style -especially the elongated, thin volutes carved in openwork- recalls similar ornate jades of the Han period. Compare for example a disc in the collection of the Luoyang city museum, Henan province, carved with four dragons in silhouette on the external border and stylized taotie masks on the surface, published in Liu Liangyou, Gu yu xin jian古玉新鑑 (Chinese archaic jade. A new approach), Taipei 1993, p.249. See also a second Han dynasty disc with similar carved animals on the border in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts from the Alfred F. Pillsbury (1869-1950) collection, accession number 50.46.315. Provenance: From a Roman family’s collection, Babuino auction house, Rome, 15 December 2017, lot 627. LENGTH 15.5 CM - WIDTH 4.5 CM 長 15.5 厘米 -寬4.5 厘米 Expertise: Univ. Prof. Filippo Salviati All jades in this catalogue have been professionally examined, authenticated and dated by Univ. Prof. Filippo Salviati. Professor Salviati teaches Chinese and Korean art at Sapienza University in Rome, in the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies. He is a world expert on archaic Chinese jades, having released multiple publications and being cited by renowned auction houses such as Sotheby’s.