A rare white and russet jade openwork 'dragon' plaque, Song Dynasty (private English collection)Intricately carved in openwork with a sinuous dragon among clouds within a lobed border, the stone of white and russet tone, when zooming in for 60 to 100 times to observe the tiny marks on the lot, marks of using soft abrasives could be seen, such marks are very different on modern jade pieces where new machines are used for carving and polishing. Provenance: private English collectionNote: a closely comparable example, dated to the Song Dynasty, is in the collection of the National Museum of China, is illustrated in The Pictorial Handbook of Ancient Chinese Jades page 2994.2cm long, 6.7cm high