† AN IVORY COLORED JADE ‘DRAGON’ PENDANT, WARRING STATES PERIOD

† AN IVORY COLORED JADE ‘DRAGON’ PENDANT, WARRING STATES PERIOD China, 475-221 BC. Of flattened form, as a sinuous dragon, each side incised with raised C-scrolls interspersed with finely chiseled lines and circles resembling faces, all enclosed by lined borders, and pierced at the center for suspension. The opaque stone fully calcified and of an ivory color with darker areas of pale brown. Provenance: U.S. collection. The stand with an inscribed label and collection number ‘81094 1206’. The authentication of this piece was conducted by Senior Fellow Gu Fang of the Institute of Archeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) on 6 January 2007, number 1206, described as ‘Jade dragon’, dated to the Warring states period, signed by Gu Fang, and notarized by Notary Noreen J. Lowery, New York. Gu Fang, born 1962 in Beijing, graduated from the Department of Archeology of the prestigious Beijing University in 1986. He later studied at the CASS where he is now working as a Senior Fellow specializing in Archeological excavations and research on Chinese Jades. Gu Fang authored several books on Chinese jades including 15 volumes on ‘The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China’, one of the largest collections of Chinese jades to date. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. The jade with two repairs, minor associated losses, small nicks, light surface scratches, soil encrustations, and signs of weathering. External Expert Authentication: A copy of the authentication report from Senior Fellow Gu Fang of the Institute of Archeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) accompanies this lot and will be transmitted to the winning bidder. Weight: 51.3 g Dimensions: Length 13 cm Mounted to a modern metal stand. (2) Literature comparison: Compare a related jade ‘dragon’ pendant, Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring states period, 8.7 cm long, in the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art, accession number S2012.9.1053. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 3 December 2021, lot 2707 Price: HKD 350,000 or approx. EUR 43,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A pale celadon jade dragon-form pendant, mid-warring states period, circa 400-300 BC Expert remark: Compare the related form and size (13.1 cm). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.