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JADE C-DRAGON
HONGSHAN CULTURE Height: 7 1/3 inches
3500 - 2500 BC ( 18.3 cm )
This piece represents the ultimate dragon form of the Hongshan culture. It is the classic C-Dragon, having a graceful curved body with an elongated head, slanted eyes and a mane or crest. This carving is unusual in that it has an inscribed, rectangular area of cross-hatching under the chin. The significance of this is unknown. The C-Dragon form is quite rare. It had a special significance and meaning. Only one such carving was placed in the tomb of an aristocrat. C-Dragons are exhibited in some museums in China, but there is no example in a U.S. museum at this time.
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