Great Jade Dragon

Dimensions: height: 25.5 cm, greatest width: 21.8 cm, curvature length: 60 cm, diameter: 2.2–2.5 cm

This dragon is carved from pale green nephrite-jade quarried in remote antiquity at present-day Xiuyan, Liaoning Province. The dragon’s body is curved like the shape of the letter C. Due to the forward projecting and slightly raised features of its snout, this type of dragon has been called a jade pig-dragon (zhulong) by some observers. The unique, exaggerated style has realistic and abstract features, and the structure, although simple, is imbued with naturalistic vigor. The plain, rugged work is typical of Chinese art produced during the early clan-society period.