A rare white jade 'dragon' finial


Ming DynastySuperbly carved in high relief with a recumbent five-clawed dragon in a powerful coiled pose, the front-facing head flanked by a pair of horns and hair flicking backwards, all raised on a ring of clouds, the base pierced with two holes for attachment, the stone of white tone with minor black inclusions. 6cm (2 1/3in) diam.
|明 白玉雕蟠龍爐頂Provenance:S. Marchant & Son, LondonA distinguished English private collection, acquired from the above on 20 May 2008來源：倫敦S. Marchant & Son英國顯赫私人收藏，2008年5月20日購自上者For a similar white jade ornament with dragon design, Ming dynasty, see Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Jade 6 Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, p.202, no.185. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, also has a white jade ornament carved with dragon design, 16th century, illustrated by M.Wilson in Chinese Jades, London, 2004, p.31, pl.27. 白玉質，雪瑩冰潤，並用圓雕、浮雕、鏤空、陰刻之法雕琢盤身龍鈕，龍方首，兩角後伏，髪分三縷，陰刻髮絲，龍鱗交叉陰刻之，密而不亂，龍身之下雕祥雲數朵。本件用刀古拙，玉料精當。可參考一件故宮所藏明代白玉龍紋飾件，刀法及龍紋風格頗似，見《故宮博物院藏品大系玉器篇6》，北京，2011年，編號185，頁202。英國維多利亞及艾伯特博物館藏一件十六世紀白玉龍紋飾件亦可參考之，見劉明倩著，《Chinese Jades》, 倫敦，2004年，圖版27，頁31。