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Knotted dragon pendant

3rd century BCE
Not on view
This pendant takes the shape of a dragon with a sinuous body grooved to resemble twisted rope. Its elegant curves illustrate the extraordinary talent and skill of early Chinese jade carvers, in whose hands hard, intractable jade seems a supple and malleable material.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 戰國　絞絲龍形玉佩
  • Title: Knotted dragon pendant
  • Period: Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BCE)
  • Date: 3rd century BCE
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Jade (nephrite)
  • Dimensions: H. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm); W. 2 1/16 in. (5.2 cm)
  • Classification: Jade
  • Credit Line: Gift of Ernest Erickson Foundation, 1985
  • Object Number: 1985.214.99
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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