Jade 'Dragon' seal, Western Han dynasty

Carved white jade. It shows a three-clawed dragon on its four legs, with a sinuous body rising at the back. The head, like the legs, faces forward with a menacing expression, its eyes open and its jaws showing its teeth. On the body, decorated with small incised lines that emulate the beast's fur, are the folded wings and the curled tail. The beast rests on a trapezoid-shaped pedestal, decorated with circles and rouleaux, which narrows at the square base, where there is a four-character seal in relief. Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-8 AD) or later.

Size: 5.1 x 2 x 5.5 cm; Seal size: 1.9 x 2 cm

Weight: 76 g