Jade. China, Western Zhou, 10th century BC 龍人頭紋形玉佩 - 西周, 公元前10世紀 This sculptural carving in green jade with heavy surface alterations embodies the innovative style that was introduced during the middle and late Western Zhou periods, when motifs derived from previous late Neolithic cultures were combined to create new forms. In fact, the pendant, carved from a thin, flat slab of jade, is decorated with the heads of two humans and three dragons, all in profile: the human faces are placed at one extremity and both are detailed with oval eyes, incised mouths, rounded ears and a tuft of hair that protrudes from each of their tops. While these human heads are probably derived from jade carvings of the Shijiahe culture (c.2500-2000 BC), the dragon in the middle of the pendant has a coiled body, which is most likely inspired by similar jades of the Hongshan culture (c.3500-2500 BC, see nos. 1 and 2 in this auction). The carving is rather sketchy and not highly refined, as if the jade had been placed in the burial in an unfinished state. The stone, once translucent, is now heavily calcified with many diffused brown areas throughout and a battered surface. A matching jade comes from the Western Zhou tomb no.157 excavated at Zhangjiapo, Chang’an county, Shaanxi province: see Gu Fang, Zhongguo gu yuqi tu dian中國古玉器圖典 (The pictorial handbook of ancient Chinese jades), Beijing 2007, p.142. Two additional comparable carvings are in the Sam and Myrna Myers collection (J.P. Desroches, Two Americans in Paris. A Quest for Asian Art, Paris 2016, no.114) and from Galerie Zacke (10 March 2018 auction, cat. no.20). Provenance: From an old Austrian collection LENGTH 10 CM - WIDTH 3.5 CM 長 10 厘米 - 寬 3.5 厘米 Expertise: Univ. Prof. Filippo Salviati All jades in this catalogue have been professionally examined, authenticated and dated by Univ. Prof. Filippo Salviati. Professor Salviati teaches Chinese and Korean art at Sapienza University in Rome, in the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies. He is a world expert on archaic Chinese jades, having released multiple publications and being cited by renowned auction houses such as Sotheby’s.