Period:Han dynasty Production date:2ndC BC-2ndC AD
Materials:jade
Technique:carved
Subjects:dragon
Dimensions:Length: 7.20 centimetres Width: 3.20 centimetres
Description:
Scabbard slide of yellowish green jade with two dragons carved in relief with the larger dragon extending beyond the surface of the sword slide.
IMG
![图片[1]-scabbard slide; sword BM-2022-3034.175-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Han dynasty/Jades/665_.jpg)
Comments:The dragons have single horns and long sinuous bodies crawling amongst tufts of clouds. There is some metal encrustation on the jade which has a good gloss. The rectangular outline of this slide is partially obscured by the two feline dragons that writhe through clouds across the main surface. At one end a large dragon rises out of the clouds in a bold-s-shape, its head and neck protruding above the edge of the slide. Plumes behind its neck joi with pendants to its body to give a sloping extension to the line of the head and neck. At this point both the flat surface of the slide and its straight edges emerge from behind the dragon, thus revealing the way in which the three-dimensional rendering of the dragon has been concealing both the outline and the surface of the fitting. The head of a smaller dragon appears behind the tail of the main creatures. Both the polish of the jade and its variously coloured surfaces help to bring out the three-dimensional quality of the carving. The underside of the piece is completely flat. Sets of fittings, including slides, decorated with relief dragons have been excavated from the second-century BC tombs of the King of Nan Yue at Canton and of Prince Liu Sheng at Mancheng in Hebei province. However, in both these instances the dragons stand out in the round from the fittings and are not worked into the background of clouds as here. See Rawson 1995, p.301, cat.no.21.15.
Materials:jade
Technique:carved
Subjects:dragon
Dimensions:Length: 7.20 centimetres Width: 3.20 centimetres
Description:
Scabbard slide of yellowish green jade with two dragons carved in relief with the larger dragon extending beyond the surface of the sword slide.
IMG
Comments:The dragons have single horns and long sinuous bodies crawling amongst tufts of clouds. There is some metal encrustation on the jade which has a good gloss. The rectangular outline of this slide is partially obscured by the two feline dragons that writhe through clouds across the main surface. At one end a large dragon rises out of the clouds in a bold-s-shape, its head and neck protruding above the edge of the slide. Plumes behind its neck joi with pendants to its body to give a sloping extension to the line of the head and neck. At this point both the flat surface of the slide and its straight edges emerge from behind the dragon, thus revealing the way in which the three-dimensional rendering of the dragon has been concealing both the outline and the surface of the fitting. The head of a smaller dragon appears behind the tail of the main creatures. Both the polish of the jade and its variously coloured surfaces help to bring out the three-dimensional quality of the carving. The underside of the piece is completely flat. Sets of fittings, including slides, decorated with relief dragons have been excavated from the second-century BC tombs of the King of Nan Yue at Canton and of Prince Liu Sheng at Mancheng in Hebei province. However, in both these instances the dragons stand out in the round from the fittings and are not worked into the background of clouds as here. See Rawson 1995, p.301, cat.no.21.15.
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