Plaque pendant

The artisan has crafted a dragonet pendant from green hetian jade with a dark brownish surface. A hole at the center of the top was drilled from one side. Both faces present the same image: a dragonet with a single horn, a tail, and two cloudlike paws. The body is embellished with transformed clouds consisting of C-, S-, and comma-shaped designs. To enhance the shallow relief, the jade worker has ground off the edges of patterns and used incised intaglio lines and deep grooves.

The compositional theme mimics that of an Eastern Zhou jade quite closely. However, several discrepancies are apparent. First, the dragonet is incorrectly proportioned—both too short and too high, with uncharacteristic protrusions around the mouth and the lower belly. The C shape with a hook in the middle is an idea more recent than the Eastern Zhou period. The overlapping of two Cs and two commas is a misinterpretation of two motifs used separately on Warring States jade. The surface was fully engrained with browns, yet extremely dense and even tool marks are evidence of a more recent origin.