China, 206 BC-220 AD. Finely carved in openwork, the central archer’s ring carved on one side with comma scrolls and raised lines, encompassed by a phoenix and a chilong. The chilong’s face finely rendered and with minute incision work along the edge of its legs, its bifurcated tail stretching down the side of the ring. The phoenix with a tall crest and a furcated tail. The opaque stone is of an ivory tone with light russet inclusions.

Provenance: From the Sam and Myrna Myers Collection. Sam and Myrna are first generation Americans, who shared a taste for collecting beautiful objects of art. On a trip to Ascona, Switzerland, the couple stumbled into a small antique shop which started their journey of collecting antiques. When Sam Myers was sent to Paris by his law firm in the mid-1960s, he and his wife Myrna became so enamored with the city that they decided to make it their home. There, over the course of 50 years, they built an extraordinary art collection, and in 1976, Myrna opened a gallery in Paris specializing in Asian art. Their collection spans a wide range of precious objects from Chinese jades, ceramics, textiles, Indian ivory carvings, to Japanese clothing and lacquer, some of which was exhibited in the Kimbell Art Museum. Part of their collection was sold at Sotheby’s, London ‘Two Americans in Paris, The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers’, on 4 November 2021. The couple also worked together with jade expert Filippo Salviati to create one of the most outstanding jade collections globally and authored several books on jade, including ‘Radiant Stones’ (2000), ‘The Language of Adornment’ (2002) and ‘Genèse de l’empire céleste’ (2020).
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear. Minor signs of weathering and erosion, microscopic nibbling to edges.

Weight: 22.5 g
Dimensions: Length 6 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a related celadon jade pendant with chilong and phoenix in the form of an archer’s ring, 6.9 cm long, dated to the Han dynasty, accession number 50.46.371, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams, Hong Kong, 29 May 2024, lot 440
Price: HKD 192,000 or approx. EUR 23,000 converted at the time of writing
Description: A Jade ‘dragon and phoenix’ reticulated pendant, Western Han dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related color of jade and the similar form with a phoenix and chilong. Note the larger size (8.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 November 2022, lot 4
Price: HKD 318,000 or approx. EUR 39,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A white jade ‘dragon and phoenix’ pendant, Han dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related from albeit with a slightly different style. Note the different color of jade. Note the larger size (8 cm).