DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.63296#0147
DRAGON, CICADA, TOAD
burial* Cloud decoration covers the surface, and in design they are typically
Han* Better in workmanship than many dragons of this type they give a
snake-like effect which seems to have been peculiar to the epoch to which
they are assigned* It seems possible that their shape is inssuenced by the
Indian Naga which was introduced into China with Buddhism*
On plate 54 a different type of dragon appears made of opaque greyish
white jade with passages of black and deep brown* It is two-tailed, bearded,
and with one horn, standing on conventionalised waves, with head thrown
back* On its arched back is a pearl on which the dragon's horn rests* On
the front of the animal's shoulders and hind legs are two tongued ssames*
One fork of the dragon's double tail, which has been partly broken off,
curves back on to the animal's croup* The waves and beard are formed
by finely incised lines* The dorsal ridge is indicated by a ssat rib bearing
ten shallow curved grooves representing the vertebrae* The modelling of
the dragon is of remarkable elegance, and its poise instinct with life and
force* It is as typically Tang as the other dragons are Han*
With the Sung dynasty we get another convention which continued to
be imitated long after its invention* It is in horseshoe form and at both
ends are squarely shaped heads of dragons facing each other whose bodies
merge into a central design and whose tails appear under each other's
chins* On plates 56, 57, 58 photographs of this type of dragon jade are
shown* The two first were once in the possession of the great collector
Tuan Fang and the third is in America* There is not much to be said
about these later dragons which have lost the life instinct, and therefore,
though they still retain a certain distinction of their own, they bear a strong
family likeness to each other*
Far finer is the complete dragon circle on plate 55, which closely resembles
an outline drawing in Wu Ta ch4eng's book and is nearly akin to a magnifi-
cent large jade dragon that has recently come to this country* In colour
this example has weathered to ash-grey, but traces of translucent green jade
are still to be seen* Bevelled on the outer edge, the inner is rectangular
in section* Signs of wear, as if from a cord, are to be detected in the mouth
orifice* In the nose of the dragon is to be seen the pearl of the moon and
the fish itself is bent double, curved into the attitude for jumping* The
head and mouth are connected by a conventional ornament, and, as will be
seen from the plate, the body is incised with curled designs*
123
burial* Cloud decoration covers the surface, and in design they are typically
Han* Better in workmanship than many dragons of this type they give a
snake-like effect which seems to have been peculiar to the epoch to which
they are assigned* It seems possible that their shape is inssuenced by the
Indian Naga which was introduced into China with Buddhism*
On plate 54 a different type of dragon appears made of opaque greyish
white jade with passages of black and deep brown* It is two-tailed, bearded,
and with one horn, standing on conventionalised waves, with head thrown
back* On its arched back is a pearl on which the dragon's horn rests* On
the front of the animal's shoulders and hind legs are two tongued ssames*
One fork of the dragon's double tail, which has been partly broken off,
curves back on to the animal's croup* The waves and beard are formed
by finely incised lines* The dorsal ridge is indicated by a ssat rib bearing
ten shallow curved grooves representing the vertebrae* The modelling of
the dragon is of remarkable elegance, and its poise instinct with life and
force* It is as typically Tang as the other dragons are Han*
With the Sung dynasty we get another convention which continued to
be imitated long after its invention* It is in horseshoe form and at both
ends are squarely shaped heads of dragons facing each other whose bodies
merge into a central design and whose tails appear under each other's
chins* On plates 56, 57, 58 photographs of this type of dragon jade are
shown* The two first were once in the possession of the great collector
Tuan Fang and the third is in America* There is not much to be said
about these later dragons which have lost the life instinct, and therefore,
though they still retain a certain distinction of their own, they bear a strong
family likeness to each other*
Far finer is the complete dragon circle on plate 55, which closely resembles
an outline drawing in Wu Ta ch4eng's book and is nearly akin to a magnifi-
cent large jade dragon that has recently come to this country* In colour
this example has weathered to ash-grey, but traces of translucent green jade
are still to be seen* Bevelled on the outer edge, the inner is rectangular
in section* Signs of wear, as if from a cord, are to be detected in the mouth
orifice* In the nose of the dragon is to be seen the pearl of the moon and
the fish itself is bent double, curved into the attitude for jumping* The
head and mouth are connected by a conventional ornament, and, as will be
seen from the plate, the body is incised with curled designs*
123