Jade. China, Eastern Han, AD 25-220 鏤空龍紋玉璧 - 東漢, 公元25-220 年 Discs with decorative motifs carved in openwork along the outside border form a particularly attractive category of Han period jades. They were in vogue since the early Western Han period and the external patterns carved on the outside became increasingly more complex so that by the end of the dynasty they were quite elaborate, as exemplified by the present example that can be dated to the Eastern Han period. This exquisite disc, carved from white jade, is topped with an ornate pattern in openwork of two confronting dragons separated by an upper central element with a flower-like design. The dragons have thin, sinuous bodies, very short wings, and long crests that descend from the back of the heads to the necks, decorated with a scale pattern. The mouths of the dragons are opened towards the central element that they touch with their fangs. Two cloud-like scrolls are carved over the backs of the animals, just behind their hind legs. Incised lines further accentuate the details of the dragons, such as parallel incised lines that indicate the fur, and single lines that follow the contour of the body and limbs. The surfaces of the disc are decorated with raised curls framed within two plain bands that run along the border and the circumference of the central hole. The attractive white jade is covered with extensive calcification that has made it opaque. There are many black deposits, indicating the presence of iron, as well as amber and brown areas and spots of red powder, such as on the front paw of one dragon and on the neck of the other. A disc with a similar decoration and dimensions is in the Tianjin Museum of Art, while a second comparable example comes from an Eastern Han tomb discovered near the city of Dingzhou, in Hebei province: both discs are reproduced in Gu Fang, Zhongguo gu yuqi tu dian 中國古玉器圖典 (The pictorial handbook of ancient Chinese jades), Beijing 2007, pp.233 and 234. Provenance: From an old Austrian collection HEIGHT 15.5 DIAMETER 12.8 CM - HOLE 1.2 CM 高 15.5 - 直径12.8 厘米 - 孔徑1.2 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.