Lot 4288

Description

China, Ching dynasty openwork jade pendant in the form of two dragons flankning a tablet their heads turned away from each other, in a pale brown stone, 8 cm long; probably c.18th century. Very fine, rare.

This jade carving is similar to greyish-brown jade carving of a pierced and carved bell that is illustrated by Tanner (1925, No.1357, Plate 51). The present jade is from the same collection as the previous jade, (Lawsons (1995, No.42, of the draft catalogue and Lawsons (1996, No.11). This jade appears in an illustration that is in a book devoted to the life of Ishimoto Kenji, Taguchi Minoru 1937, (p.194, top tray). It is shown in a tray with other jades and is the third jade from the left of the bottom row, see the photo copy that is supplied with this lot. See Laufer (p.226, fig. 132) and Taguchi Minoru (p.17 centre jade in second bottom tray, This Jade, Xerox copy included in lot).