Feb., 1912. 



Jade. 



187 



the necks are decorated with scales, and above them, fish-tails become 

 visible, so that the dragons must be conceived of as coiled. It will 

 be noticed that there are diversities in the delineation of the two heads ; 

 the one on the left has a fish -pattern over the eye and fish-scales on 

 the upper jaw below the nose, besides, two spirals in the lower jaw and 

 another over the hind-head. These elaborate details are wanting in 



Fig. 92. 

 Jade Carving of Dragon. 



the head on the opposite side; perhaps the two are to be looked upon 

 as male and female dragons. 



In Fig. 92 derived from Wu's book which is made of a white jade 

 with reddish spots, the two dragons almost form a ring, the heads 

 being separated by a narrow space only as in the half -rings kiieh. The 

 geometric treatment of the dragons is remarkable, everything being 

 dissolved into bands and spirals, and but for the eyes which are plainly 

 marked,, it would be hard to guess the figure of the dragon in this de- 

 sign. The carving in Fig. 93 is stated to consist of white jade over 

 which a yellow "mist" is spread, interspersed with russet spots; here 

 the dragon forms a complete ring, and a Ju-i sceptre (see Plate LXVIII) 

 is inserted between head and tail. 



Wu does not give a period for these three specimens. They are of 

 a highly elaborate artistic character and doubtless productions of the 



