A jade seal with round-carved owl and dragon
A jade seal with round-carved owl and dragon
This jade seal is brownish yellow with weathering marks on the surface.
There is an eleven-character inscription on the jade seal. The inscription is clear, neat, fluent and elegant.
The seal head is a combination of a coiled dragon and an owl. The shape and decorative patterns are standard in the Shang Dynasty. The size of the seal button is just right for an adult male to hold in one hand.
The dragon head has mushroom-shaped horns, eyes in the shape of the Chinese character “臣”, protruding eyeballs, and an open mouth showing teeth. The fangs and huge mouth are carved with tube drilling technology. There are shield-shaped patterns on the side of the face, and double negative line hook cloud patterns represent joints. The dragon's two feet are stretched forward and lie under the head. The body is coiled to the right, with a tooth-like ridge. The whole body is decorated with double negative line diamond patterns to represent dragon scales.
The owl is facing the coiled dragon, with its beak and front body connected to the dragon's body. There is a hole in the middle for tying a string. The owl has erect ears, a hooked beak, "臣"-shaped eyes with protruding eyeballs, folded wings, and a double-negative hook pattern on its body. Its tail is slightly raised.
Dimensions: Length 112mm (4.41") Width 71mm (2.8") Height 78mm (3.07")
Weight: 1039g (2.29lb)