Late Shang/ early Western Zhou Dynasty, circa 11th Century B.C.
carved as the simplified silhouette of a dragon shown in profile with plain smooth body ending in a tightly curled tail, detailed on each side with a single leg tucked under the large head with blunt snout, bottle shaped horn and large lozenge shaped eye, pierced through the mouth for stringing, the yellowish-green jade with some cloudy surface alteration and showing traces of earth and cinnabar.
Length 2 1⁄16 inches (5.3 cm)
A jade dragon pendant of very similar form in the Palace Museum, Beijing is illustrated in Gugong bowuyuan cangpin daxi: yuqi bian (Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade), Vol. 2, Xia, Shang, Zhou, Beijing, 2011, p. 145, no. 139, described as Shang.
商晚期 / 西周早期 龍形玉珮 長 5.3 厘米
Late Shang/ early Western Zhou Dynasty, circa 11th Century B.C.
Length 2 1⁄16 inches (5.3 cm)