A DRAGON-SHAPED XI OR “KNOT-OPENER”
A DRAGON-SHAPED XI OR “KNOT-OPENER”
Jade
China, Late Eastern Zhou, early Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD), 4th to 2nd century BC
This jade is published in Filippo Salviati 4000 YEARS OF CHINESE ARCHAIC JADES Edition Zacke, Vienna 2017, no. 263
Knot openers are called xi and were worn on the belt. This elegantly curved piece is entirely dragon-shaped and – despite its fragility – perfectly preserved. The head is lively in form, the nose and chin in the form of an anvil. The whole, smoothly curved body is slender and ends in a point. Along the body there are multiple crescent features with pointed or volute-shaped tips similar in their curvature to the tail. A few fine lines indicate the mane. The scattered decorations on the smooth body of the dragon are either hook or grid-shaped. The jade’s color is a very light-green and is whitish when held up to light.
Dimensions: LENGTH 8.6 CM
Condition: Undamaged
Provenance: Austrian private collection