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A RARE AND COMPLETE SET OF FOUR WHITE AND RUSSET JADE OPENWORK ‘CHILONG’ SWORD FITTINGS, WESTERN HAN DYNASTY China, 206 BC-8 AD. The group comprising: a pommel (shou), of circular form with gently tapered sides, its slightly domed top finely carved in openwork to depict a writhing dragon encircling a raised central flowerhead; a sword guard (ge), of conventional shape, and a trapezoidal scabbard chape (bi) with curved side edges, both similarly decorated with a sinuous dragon on one side and incised C-shaped scrolls on the other; and, a scabbard slide (zhi), decorated with a coiling dragon facing a small, soaring phoenix. The translucent jades of an attractive interplay of whitish and russet tones with cloudy inclusions and some areas of opaque calcification. (4) Provenance: From The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, with expected wear and inherent natural imperfections, such as inclusions and small fissures. Distinct traces of weathering and erosion. Occasional small nicks and shallow surface scratches. Few minuscule chips and minor nibbling along the edges. The stone surface with some areas of soil encrustation and creamy-white calcification. Weight: 557.2 g (total) Dimensions: Length 12.6 cm (scabbard slide), 8.5 cm (scabbard chape), 9.5 cm (sword guard), 5.8 cm (pommel) With an associated padded silk storage box. (5) In ancient China, there were two pathways known for soft iron making. One was the so-called ‘direct process’ in which bloomery iron, with a low-carbon content, was smelted in a furnace and then directly used for smithing larger numbers of lower quality blades. The second, so-called ‘indirect process’ was more complex. After smelting from a blast furnace, cast iron was decarburized through a liquid-state procedure called ‘chaogang’. This produced still-malleable iron with a significantly higher carbon content of up to 1%, or, in other words, steel of the best possible quality for the manufacture of high-end blades. Needless to say, jade was used primarily for fittings of blades from this group, a sign of almost exuberant luxury, marking its owner as a person of nobility. Similar fittings were also found on bronze swords, but only the ones discovered near the remnants of iron blades are encrusted with distinct rust patterns such as the present lot. Literature comparison: Compare four jade sword fittings from the Myers collection, Western Han dynasty, illustrated in Myrna Myers (ed.) and Filippo Salviati (auth.), Radiant Stones. Archaic Chinese Jades, 2000, no. 130-133. Compare a closely related set of sword fittings once belonging to the King of Nanyue, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, vol. 4, Qin, Han, Nanbeichao, Hebei, 1993, p. 60-61, no. 79-82. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 2711 Price: HKD 8,460,000 or approx. EUR 1,100,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An important set of three jade ‘chilong’ sword fittings and a jade sword guard, Western Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related form of the sword fittings, manner of carving, and ‘chilong’ decoration. Note the smaller size (the largest 8.8 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Zacke Vienna, 29 September 2022, lot 39 Price: EUR 39,000 or approx. EUR 43,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare and complete set of four jade openwork sword fittings, Western Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related form of the sword fittings, manner of carving, and ‘chilong’ decoration. Note the similar size (the largest 14 cm).

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Jade