? A CELADON AND RUSSET JADE ‘PIG DRAGON’, ZHULONG, HONGSHAN CULTURE China, Neolithic period, c. 3500-3000 BC. Masterfully carved as a small pig-dragon (zhulong), coiling so that the straight tail meets the powerful head. The face is detailed with bulging eyes, a wrinkled snout, and flared nostrils; the slit below the sealed lips connects to the central perforation, and the neck is drilled for suspension. The opaque stone is of pale yellowish-green color with patches of russet inclusions and creamy white tones.
Weight: 119 g
Dimensions: Height 6.2 cm
Provenance: From the collection of Max Lowenson, thence by descent to Dr. Ben Essex. Born in Latvia, Max Lowenson (1879-1945) immigrated to Cardiff, Wales, in the early 20th century, where he became a successful businessman. His prosperity allowed him to travel extensively across Asia, sparking a deep fascination with Chinese history and leading to the formation of an impressive collection of Chinese art, spanning from the Warring States period to the Tang dynasty. Lowenson's legacy continues through his grandson, Dr. Ben Essex, a noted English collector of ancient Chinese works of art. He and his wife, Nina Essex inherited and expanded the collection of Max Lowenson. Today, pieces from Dr. Essex's collection are housed in the National Museum of Wales.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, signs of prolonged burial, traces of weathering, minuscule smoothened nibbling, the stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks.
The coiled pig-dragon (zhulong) which likely developed from the earlier slit ring and quite possibly the prototype of the dragon in Chinese art, is one of the principal jade forms of the Hongshan culture. A quintessential artifact, it reflects the Hongshan people's mature and complex belief system centered on supernatural forces. Though both its facial design and body shape influenced later periods such as the Liangzhu and Shang, the form itself seems to have vanished with the disappearance of the Hongshan people. Archaeologists have identified the Liaoxi and Liaodong peninsulas and the upper and lower valleys of the Liao River as the heartland of the culture, where numerous jade zhulong have been unearthed—often from tombs, placed on the chest of the deceased, suggesting they were worn as chest ornaments. Fragments found at a goddess temple in Niuheliang, Liaoning province, further imply a possible connection to fertility rituals. See related discussion by Elizabeth Childs-Johnson in “Jades of the Hongshan Culture,” Arts Asiatiques, vol. XLVI, December 1991, pp. 82-95.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 18 April 2024, lot 506
Price: HKD 203,200 or approx. EUR 22,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A celadon jade 'pig-dragon' pendant, Neolithic period, Hongshan culture
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, and color of the stone. Note the smaller size (4.4 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 March 2025, lot 1004
Price: USD 63,000 or approx. EUR 54,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very rare pale greyish-green and russet jade ‘pig dragon’, Neolithic period, Hongshan culture, 4th-3rd millennium BC
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, and color of the stone. Note the slightly smaller size (5.3 cm).
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§ 1) The auction shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the rules of procedure of GALERIE ZACKE?, SZA VERSTEIGERUNGEN UND VERTRIEBS GMBH, MARIAHILFERSTRASSE 112, 1070 WIEN (hereinafter referred to as the company) as well as in accordance with sections 244-246 of the GEWERBEORDNUNG [Industrial Code] of 1994. The auction shall be carried out on commission. The auctioneer shall be entitled to withdraw lots exceptionally, to conduct the auction deviating from the order of the catalog numbers and to offer lots jointly. In the event of any dispute concerning a double bid or if the auctioneer has missed a bid, the auctioneer shall be entitled to revoke acceptance of a bid and to continue auctioning the item. The figures stated in the catalog shall be the highest bid in Euro (€) expected by the respective expert. As a rule, the bid shall be increased by 10% of the last bid. (See table of the bidding increments).
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