SCABBARD SLIDE SUI
SCABBARD SLIDE SUI
Jade
China, Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD) 2nd to 1st century BC
This jade is published in Filippo Salviati 4000 YEARS OF CHINESE ARCHAIC JADES Edition Zacke, Vienna 2017, no. 321
An excellently worked gou typical of the time, the Chinese word means “hook”. Accordingly, a hook is designed at one end of the clasp to fasten a belt. Below in the center is a rectangular eyelet box for the band passage. Sword scabbard- or sheath-slides were used to hang the weapon from the belt and were one of the most common accessories used by the nobility of ancient China during the late Eastern Zhou and Han periods. The example here is representative of two well-known types of the Han period: they share the same form - a flat top with a slightly curved end and a rectangular loop on the back and a similar decoration. The sculptural decor on the upper side shows a large chilong, the body is fluted and performs typical exalted movement. The long tail is split and has curls on the end. Amusing is the young dragon on one end. The jade has a whitish color with a light yellow-green tone, nice translucence, yellow-brown to red-brown areas, the little chi dragon is dark.
Dimensions: LENGTH 11.6 CM
Condition: Some age characteristics, minor weathering on the edges.
Provenance: Old Austrian-Hungarian private collection