A celadon jade openwork 'human-dragon' plaque, Mid - late Western Zhou dynasty | 西周中晚期 淺青灰玉透雕雙龍人首紋項飾

Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (1929-2014), New York, no. JI 110 (label). 

安思遠（1929-2014年）收藏，紐約，編號 JI 110 （標籤）

The decorations showing a humanoid head in the middle and flanked by a dragon head on either side are typically associated with arc-shape pendants forming elaborate necklace assemblages of the Western Zhou period. The small hole in the centre of the present lot suggests that it was likely the last piece added to a string of jades as the decorative end or stopper in a wrist or necklace. For example, a full set necklace assemblage with a similar jade plaque suspending at the end, see a set of jade necklaces in the Zhouyuan Museum, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Yang Boda, Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese jades], Hebei, 2005, no. 275.

此玉飾應為成組項飾中的一部分，這類項飾通常由不同的佩飾組成，再以鴻瑪瑙、玉管、玉珠串聯成組，垂掛於主人胸前，象徵身份和及地位。參看 1981 年 8 月陝西省扶風縣黃堆鄉強家村出土一件西周孝王時期的玉項鏈，其中末端的玉佩與本器非常相似，見楊伯達，《中國玉器全集》，河北，2005 年，編號 275。