JADE C-DRAGON HONGSHAN

4JADE C-DRAGON

HONGSHAN CULTURE 3500 - 2500 BC Height: 7 1/3 inches ( 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.