China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A hand-carved green jade partial disc, open on one side with its terminals in the form of feline heads. The surface has incised patterns, some very light (the texture of scale-like fur on the back), and some deeper (around the mouth and face). These figures are fantastical and mythological, rather than a representation of a specific species. Size: 2.2" W x 2.1" H (5.6 cm x 5.3 cm)

Chinese art has incorporated jade since the Neolithic period; quarries for nephrite, the formal name for one type of jade, have been found in modern-day southern Mongolia that date to ca. 4000 BCE. The stone was prized for its hardness, its beautiful coloration, and its durability. By the third millennium BCE, we know that jade had also come to be associated with immortality. Despite its hardness - a testament to the craftsmanship of early Chinese artisans - jade was used to make everything from everyday household objects and decoration to the ceremonial suits in which Han dynasty emperors were buried – with the belief that jade would preserve the body and the soul for eternity.

Provenance: private Salter collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

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#125647

Small areas of encrustation and patina, possibly from exposure to iron artifacts, on the terminals of the piece.