Pendant with dragon head and interlaced dragons, one of a pair

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
Download Image IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    ca. 600-476 BCE
  • Geography

    Liulige, Henan province, China
  • Material

    Jade (nephrite)
  • Dimension

    H x W x D: 11 x 2 x 0.5 cm (4 5/16 x 13/16 x 3/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1987.612
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1987.612

Object Details

  • Provenance

    1928 to 1929
    Likely Discovered in tomb located in Jincun, Honan Provence, China. [1]
    To 1948
    Zhang Naiji (1899–1948), Shanghai, China then New York, NY [2]
    1948 to 1954
    Zhang Mei Chien (1901–ca.1955), New York, NY inherited upon her husband’s death [3]
    1954 to 1963
    J. T. Tai & Company, New York, NY purchased from Zhang Mei Chien in New York, NY [4]
    1963 to 1987
    Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, NY purchased from J. T. Tai & Company on May 15, 1963 in New York, NY [5]
    From 1987
    Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [6]
    Notes:
    [1] Discovery site noted as Chin ts’un (now known as Juncun), see: Archaic Chinese Jades: Special Exhibition (Philadelphia: The University Museum, February 1940), cat. 44. Several tombs near Chin ts’un (Jincun) in Western Honan were discovered in the summer of 1928 after heavy rain, when sinkholes began to emerge. Immediately upon discovery, the tombs were heavily scavenged by locals. Only two tombs were systematically excavated (See: William Charles White, Tombs of Old Lo-Yang: A Record of the Construction and Contents of a group of Royal Tombs at Chin-ts’un, probably dating to 550 bc. Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh Limited, 1934 and William Charles White, “China’s Cultural Heritage” in Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada vol. 37 (1943): 151).
    [2] Zhang Naiji (also known as N.C. Chang) was a businessman, born to a prestigious family in Zhejiang that made their wealth in the silk and salt industries. He collected ancient Chinese art objects and Chinese coins. Zhang amassed his collection whilst living in Shanghai, before leaving for America in 1938, and acquired his objects onsite of archeological excavations (see: Alfred Salmony, Chinese Jade through the Wei Dynasty. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1963: 115.).
    Zhang lent his collection anonymously to Archaic Chinese Jades: Special Exhibition. We know his identity through letters housed in the Department of Archives, The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (see: letter, C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, 25 October 1939 and letter, from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, 16 December 1939), copies in FǀS COM provenance files. The exhibition was entirely organized by C. T. Loo & Company, New York. Letters exchanged between C. T. Loo and the director of The University Museum, Mr. Horace H.F. Jayne, reveal that Zhang Naiji owned the objects and C. T. Loo & Company had the collection on consignment (see: letter, from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, 28 May 1939 and letter, from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, 23 October 1940, copies on COM provenance files). C. T. Loo & Company kept the jade collection on consignment from 1940 through Zhang’s death in 1948, inventorying the pieces with a prefix “J” and labeling each item as “Chang Collection.”
    [3] Zhang Mei Chien, Zhang Naiji’s wife, assumed ownership upon his death in 1948. She sold several pieces from her husband’s collection to J. T. Tai & Company in July 1954 (for example, see J. T. Tai & Company Stock Record YT 886 and YT 895, copies in COM provenance files). It is unclear when Frank Caro, C. T. Loo’s associate and successor to C. T. Loo & Company, purchased items from Zhang Mei Chien.
    [4] J. T. Tai & Company stock record no. YT-1112, “1 jade piece,” included on invoice addressed to Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, dated 5/15/63, copy provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation on October 9, 2009. Copy located in object file, full copy in FǀS provenance files in COM office.
    [5] See note 4.
    [6] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.
  • Collection

    Arthur M. Sackler Collection
  • Exhibition History

    In Praise of Ancestors: Ritual Objects from China (September 28, 1987 to January 1, 1989)
    Archaic Chinese Jades, Special Exhibition (February 1940)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 (1899-1948)
    Zhang Mei Chien (1900-1998)
    J. T. Tai & Co. (established in 1950)
    Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)
  • Origin

    Liulige, Henan province, China
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
  • Type

    Jewelry and Ornament
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring