A GILT BRONZE AND WHITE JADE ‘DRAGON’ BELT PLAQUE,... Lot n° 510

China, 618-907. The rectangular white jade belt plaque is encased in a gilt bronze shell, the closed side with a dragon in high relief on an incised dotted ground and the other side decorated in openwork with scrolling vines and flowers, the open areas revealing the cased white jade. The opaque stone of a greyish white color with russet inclusions. The use of such precious materials as jade and gilt bronze indicates this plaque was crafted for a person of high status.Four small piercings, two on each end, for attachment. Condition: Good, original condition, remarkable considering the age of this plaque! Some wear, miniscule nicks and scratches, minor dents and tiny losses. The gilt bronze with dark and copper red patina as well as few spots of verdigris. Provenance: Grays Antique Center, London. Dr. Koos de Jong, acquired from the above in 1999 (invoice not available). Dr. de Jong is a Dutch art his - torian and has been privately collecting Chinese art over decades. He has authored hundreds of articles and several books on Dutch fine and decorative arts spanning from the Middle Ages to the modern era and published an extensive study of saddle rugs in Dragon & Horse. Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond. Between 1976 and 2009 he worked for numerous museums across the Netherlands and was director of the European Ceramic Work Center in Den Bosch. Weight: 36.3 g Dimensions: Size 3.6 x 5 cm Literature comparison: Orientations, Vol. 33, no. 7, p. 19. ??????????? ???618-907?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ?????Grays ?????Drs. Koos de Jong 1999???????? Drs. Koos de Jong????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????2013?????Dragon & Horse?Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond????