Description:

East Asia, China, Warring States Period, ca. 476 to 221 BCE. A stunning nephrite jade carving in the form of a stylized dragon with a spiraling, spiked tail and a bearded snout. Boating natural shades of celadon and peach, both sides are incised with intricate, scrolling motifs. This plaque may represent a guei - a troublesome spirit that roams the world causing misfortune, illness, and death in indigenous Chinese religion. Guei are spirits of individuals who were not properly buried or whose families neglected the proper memorial offerings; they lack the means to ascend to the spirit world, hence their malevolent disposition. In traditional China, numerous protective rituals and talismans were devised to ward guei away from the family abode, and the main entrance was usually screened by a protective “shadow wall.” Size: 3.2" L x 0.2" W x 1.3" H (8.1 cm x 0.5 cm x 3.3 cm)

Cf. Smith College Museum of Art, SC 1960.164.3.

Provenance: private New Orleans, Louisiana, USA collection, acquired 1990s in the Caribbean

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#189127

  • Condition: Intact and excellent with impressively preserved detail.

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December 20, 2024 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

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