A GRAY AND BLACK JADE ‘DRAGON’ PENDANT, MING DYNASTY
China, 1368-1644. Of flattened form and boldly carved in openwork to depict a sinuous dragon, its body finely decorated with partly interlocking C-scrolls, the long curved horn and curling tail neatly incised, the mouth pierced with a small aperture. The finely polished, translucent jade of a pale gray tone with a black patch, icy inclusions, and russet veins.


Provenance:
From the collection of Dr. Wou Kiuan. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. T.7.6. Dr. Wou Kiuan (1910-1997) was a Chinese diplomat and noted scholar of Chinese art. His father, Wou Lien-Pai (1873-1944), was one the leading political figures of early 20th century China, remembered for his role as speaker and leader of parliament during the turbulent years of the Republican era. Dr. Wou himself embarked on an illustrious career in diplomacy until his retirement in 1952, when he settled in London and devoted the rest of his life to the study of Chinese art. It was no doubt fortuitous that Dr. Wou’s years of collecting coincided with an abundant availability of exceptional Chinese art on the London market. From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s he was able to form a collection of well over 1,000 works that together represented virtually every category of Chinese art. At the heart of Dr. Wou’s drive to collect was a burning desire to preserve the relics of China’s rich historical past scattered across Europe, and to promote Chinese art and culture. It is unclear when Dr. Wou conceived the idea to create a place to house his collection, but in 1968, he opened the doors to the Wou Lien-Pai Museum, named in honor of his father. Over the years the museum became a ‘must see’ destination for collectors, academics, and visiting dignitaries, and Dr. Wou would delight in leading his visitors through the galleries, recounting stories of China’s glorious history.

Condition:
Very good condition with expected old wear, minimal signs of weathering and erosion, minor nibbling to the edges, and few small nicks. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.

Weight: 47.1 g
Dimensions: Length 8.6 cm


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 2 November 2022, lot 255
Price: GBP 5,040 or approx.
EUR 7,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gray and black jade ‘dragon’ plaque, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving with similar C-scroll and gray and black color. Note the slightly different form with multiple heads, and the size (11.4 cm).




明代灰黑玉龍紋佩

中國，1368-1644 年。扁平形，雕刻一條蜿蜒的龍，其身體上飾有雲紋，長而彎曲的角和尾巴線條簡潔，嘴上穿有一個小孔。精細拋光的半透明玉，呈淺灰色調，帶有黑色斑塊、白色絮狀物和赤褐色紋理。


來源：
吳權博士收藏；吳蓮伯美術館，館藏編號T.7.6。吳權(1910-1997)博士 曾是一位中國外交家以及知名中國藝術收藏家。他的父親吳蓮伯 (1873-1944)先生曾是二十世紀初中國重要政治人物，因在民國動蕩歲月中擔任國會議員及議長而聞名。1952 年，吳博士在外交領域走上了輝煌之路，直到他退休後定居倫敦，並將餘生奉獻給了對中國藝術的研究。毫無疑問，吳權博士多年的收藏，與大量中國藝術珍品現身倫敦藝術市場上時間點相呼應，這無疑是幸運的。從 1950 年代中期到 1960 年代後期，他收集了 1,000 多件藏品，涵蓋了中國藝術的每一個門類。吳博士之所以收藏，其原因主要是爲保護散落歐洲各地的中國文物與推廣中國藝術與文化。尚不清楚吳博士何時想到創建一個美術館來歸置他的收藏的，但在 1968 年，他打開了以他父親的名字命名的 吳蓮伯美術館的大門。多年來，美術館已成為收藏家、學者和來訪政要的必經之地，而吳博士總是很樂意給參觀者介紹美術館，講述中國光輝歷史的故事。

品相：
狀況非常好，有磨損，風化和輕微侵蝕跡像，邊緣有輕微的磕損，並且有一些小刻痕。玉石上有天然裂縫，有的可能發展成細小裂縫。

重量：47.1 克
尺寸：長8.6 厘米


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2022年11月2日，lot 255
價格：GBP 5,040（相當於今日
EUR 7,000
）
描述：明灰玉仿古龍紋珮
專家評論：比較非常相近雕刻風格和灰黑玉。請注意不同的外形和多頭和尺寸 (11.4 釐米)。