Dragon Pendant Design Detail 19th century China Silver Finish Money Clip

The Dragon Pendant, dating back to the Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period (around 4th/3rd century B.C.), is a mesmerizing work of art from China. Designed as serpentine dragons with backturned heads, coiled tails, and small fins projecting above and below their undulating trunks, these matching pendants showcase the remarkable fluency of jade carving. Crafted from compact, fine-grained jade stone, the pendant's rounded, heart-shaped units and delicately incised spirals, striations, and cross-hatching exhibit the exceptional dexterity of the craftsman, who skillfully worked with the unyielding material. The pendant's substantial size, technical refinement, and glossy polish suggest aristocratic patronage. The presence of holes pierced for suspension through the creatures' hindquarters indicates that these pendants were likely designed to be draped down the owner's shoulders or hung from a waistband. During the Bronze Age, sinuously curved dragons became prominent motifs in various luxurious materials. These dynamic creatures were not merely decorative but also believed to be supernatural beings. When buried with the deceased, jade pendants like these may have been seen as vehicles to transport the human soul on its journey to the netherworld, reflecting widely held beliefs in the significance of dragons in ancient Chinese culture.