Carved quartz slave girl ‘Dragons’, Warring States period

Rigid bracelet carved from a single block of natural quartz of great purity and transparency. The entire outer surface is masterfully decorated with a fine, dense incised carving (yinsidiao) representing a succession of archaic dragons with stylized bodies, fierce expressions and scaly torsos. Warring States period (403–222 BC) or later.

Inner diameter: 6.2 cm; Outer diameter: 7.8 cm

Provenance:

· Collection of Tommy Lam, Hong Kong, since 1980