China, c. 1100-771 BC. The arc-shaped huang is carved on one side with a stylized motif that represents the dragon’s body and legs, terminating at each end with an abstract dragon head. Two small holes are drilled for suspension. The translucent stone of a superb yellow color with brown shadings, russet veins, and small areas of opaque calcification.

Provenance: Wiltshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.
Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and traces of use, tiny nibbles to edges, remnants of pigment, one smoothened area to the upper edge.

Weight: 30.7 g
Dimensions: Length 11.9 cm

Expert's note (added 20.2.2023): Compare the current lot with a series of ritual pendants in the collection of the National Museum of China, unearthed in Shanxi from the tomb of Bi Ji, the wife of a Western Zhou Dynasty aristocrat (see image section). Notice the similarities not only in the incised decoration and stone color, but also in the notched grooves at the ends of the pendants.

Literature comparison:
The dragon on the current huang was a common design during the mid-Western Zhou Dynasty. Compare a similarly decorated jade huang, excavated from the Rui State tomb, illustrated in Selected Bronze, Jade and Gold Treasures from the Rui State of Early Spring and Autumn Period, Xian, 2007, no. 16, pp. 68-69. Compare a related huang, 7.5 cm long, excavated from Tomb no. 49 at the burial site of Shangguo, Wenxi, in the Shanxi Provincial Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 3, Beijing, 2005, p. 159. Compare a related huang, 7.3 cm long, excavated from Tomb no. 31 in the Necropolis of the Marquis of Jin State, Quwo, in the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archeology, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 3, Beijing, 2005, p. 101.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 29 November 2018, lot 4
Price: HKD 225,000 or approx. EUR 29,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An archaistic yellowish-celadon jade pendant, huang, Han dynasty or earlier
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and carving. Note the slightly smaller size (9.4 cm) and the paler color of the jade. Also note that the dating “Han dynasty or earlier” was somewhat overruled by the market, the hammer price far exceeding the original estimate of HKD 20,000-30,000.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 6 November 2019, lot 215
Price: GBP 32,500 or approx. EUR 42,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Celadon Jade Pendant, Huang, Western Zhou Dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and carving. Note the slightly smaller size (10.8 cm) and the pale celadon color of the jade.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2741
Price: HKD 437,500 or approx. EUR 62,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Celadon Jade ‘Dragon’ Pendant, Huang, Mid-Western Zhou Dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, the carving and the near-identical size (11.3 cm). Note the pale celadon color of the jade.



西周黃玉雙龍璜
中國，公元前1100-771年。此件玉璜呈米黃色，半透明，帶有棕色、赤褐色紋理和小塊不透明鈣化區域。飾陰線雙龍紋，兩端為龍首。璜兩端各鑽有一個圓形穿孔。

來源：英國威爾特郡古玩交易，據説購於一個私人收藏。
品相：品相極好，有磨損和使用痕跡，邊緣有微小的磕損，顏料殘留，上邊緣有一個平滑區域。

重量：30.7 克
尺寸：長11.9 厘米

文獻比較：
此件玉璜的龍圖形為西周中期的常見圖案。比較一件相似裝飾的玉璜，出土於芮國墓，見《芮國金玉選粹 : 陝西韓城春秋寶藏 》，2007年，編號16，頁68-69。比較相近的玉璜，長7.5 厘米，出土於山西聞喜上郭城址第49號墓，收藏於山西省博物館，見《中國出土玉器全集》，卷3，北京，2005年，頁159。比較相近的玉璜，長7.3 厘米，於山西省曲沃縣晉侯墓地31號墓出土，現存山西省考古研究所，見《中國出土玉器全集》，卷3，北京，2005年，頁101。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2018年11月29日，lot 4
價格：HKD 225,000（相當於今日EUR 29,500）
描述：漢或更早青白玉龍紋璜
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和雕刻。請注意尺寸 (9.4 厘米)稍小，以及玉石顏色較淺。 也請注意此玉璜被斷定為「漢代或較早」，此看法不被市場認同，落槌價遠超原估價20,000-30,000港元。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2019年11月6日，lot 215
價格：GBP 32,500（相當於今日EUR 42,500）
描述：西周青玉交龍紋璜
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和雕刻。請注意尺寸 (10.8 厘米) 稍小，以及此玉璜為青玉。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2018年11月28日，lot 2741
價格：HKD 437,500（相當於今日EUR 62,500）
描述：西周中期青玉龍紋璜
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、雕刻，以及幾乎相同的尺寸 (11.3 厘米)。請注意此玉璜為青玉。

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