Lot 306. A jade 'dragon' sword cape, Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220); 7.5 cm long. Sold for HK$140,800 (Est: HK$120 000 - $180 000) © Bonhams 2001-2025
 

Of thick trapezoidal form, each side carved and pierced with a dragon portrayed with a sinuous body and long scrolling tails, the face finely depicted with round eyes and thick eyebrows beneath the sharp horns, detailed with incised lines, all within a slightly raised border, the base drilled with three holes for attachment.

Provenance: The Feng Wen Tang Collection
Acquired in 2016

Note: Compare a closely related Western Han dynasty jade sword scabbard chape of comparable size excavated from Xishan, Yongcheng, Henan, and now in the collection of the Henan Provincial Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, Beijing, 2005, vol. 5: Henan, p. 222. The Henan example is similarly reticulated, featuring an interlocking design that depicts multiple beasts, including a sinuous chilong and a bear cub playfully biting the tail of the former.

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 29 October 2025