A rare white and russet jade openwork 'chilong' belt-buckle


Early Ming DynastyComprising two reticulated circular sections, each intricately carved with a chi dragon writhing amidst stylised scrolling ruyi-heads, one dragon depicted with a single horn and the other with a flowing mane, each highly detailed with a knobbly spine and a bifurcated tail, joined by a central ring enclosing a chilong roundel in relief, the even white stone highlighted with attractive russet markings. 8cm (3 1/8in) wide.
|明初 白玉帶皮鏤空雕帶扣 Provenance:The Hon. Judge Edgar Bromberger (1889-1956), New YorkMarchant, LondonExhibited, Published and Illustrated:Marchant, 90th Anniversary Exhibition: Ninety Jades for 90 Years, London, 2015, no.25Judge Edgar Bromberger made a number of gifts to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, including an important Qingbai glazed bodhisattva, Yuan dynasty, which is illustrated by S.G.Valenstain, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1975, no.120.Edgar Bromberger法官曾多次向紐約大都會博物館捐贈文物，其中包括一件重要的元代青白觀音像，並著錄於S.G.Valenstain，《中國瓷器手冊》，紐約，1975年，編號120。來源：美國紐約Edgar Bromberger法官（1889-1956）舊藏倫敦Marchant展覽、出版及著錄：Marchant，《玉器九十，90週年特展》，倫敦，2015年，編號25白玉質，扣端略微留皮，玉質溫潤，光華內斂。玉料一剖為二，鏤雕活環，環鈕浮雕盤身螭龍，每扇正面鏤空雕螭龍銜環，背面光素，僅以砣刀略施淺刻陰線。此帶扣風格古穆，有宋金遺風。類似的例子可參考北京故宮藏一件明代白玉螭龍紋帶飾，形制工藝與本拍品頗似，見《故宮博物院藏品大系玉器篇6》，北京，2011年，編號145，頁168。