A GILT BRONZE AND WHITE JADE 'DRAGON' BELT PLAQUE, TANG DYNASTY China, 618-907. The rectangular white jade belt plaque is encased in a gilt bronze shell, the closed side with a dragon in high relief on an incised dotted ground and the other side decorated in openwork with scrolling vines and flowers, the open areas revealing the cased white jade. Provenance: Grays Antique Center, London. Dr. Koos de Jong, acquired from the above in 1999 (invoice not available). Dr. de Jong is a Dutch art his - torian and has been privately collecting Chinese art over decades. He has authored hundreds of articles and several books on Dutch fine and decorative arts spanning from the Middle Ages to the modern era and published an extensive study of saddle rugs in Dragon & Horse. Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond. Between 1976 and 2009 he worked for numerous museums across the Netherlands and was director of the European Ceramic Work Center in Den Bosch. Condition: Good, original condition, remarkable considering the age of this plaque! Some wear, miniscule nicks and scratches, minor dents and tiny losses. The gilt bronze with dark and copper red patina as well as few spots of verdigris. Weight: 36.3 g Dimensions: Size 3.6 x 5 cm The opaque stone of a greyish white color with russet inclusions. The use of such precious materials as jade and gilt bronze indicates this plaque was crafted for a person of high status. Four small piercings, two on each end, for attachment. Literature comparison: Orientations, Vol. 33, no. 7, p. 19. 銅鎏金白玉龍袋扣，唐代 中國，618-907。方形白玉牌被包裹在鎏金銅框中，銅牌一面高高地浮雕著一條龍，另一面在白玉用鏤空的纏枝花卉紋裝飾，露出了白玉。 來源：倫敦Grays 古玩中心。Drs. Koos de Jong 1999年購於上述收藏。 Drs. Koos de Jong是一位荷蘭藝術史學家，幾十年來他一直私人收藏中國藝術品。他撰寫了數百篇文章和幾本書，內容涉及從中世紀到現代的荷蘭美術和裝飾藝術。2013年，他在《Dragon & Horse：Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond》中發表了有關中國騎馬裝備的詳盡研究。1976年至2009年間，他曾在荷蘭的許多博物館工作，並曾擔任登博世歐洲陶瓷工作中心的主任。 品相：原始良好品相，考慮到玉牌的年齡，這很了不起！一些磨損，微小的划痕，輕微的凹痕和微小的損失。 鎏金銅帶有深色和銅紅色包漿，以及少量的銅綠斑點。 重量：36.3 克 尺寸：3.6 x 5 厘米