Details

Object type

Jade dragon

Place Associated

China (place of manufacture)

Date

20th Century

Materials

jade

Dimensions

overall: 273 mm x 196 mm x 7 mm 557 g

Description

This writhing dragon, standing on its tail, is carved from jade. This large sized item is modern. Jade working is one of the world’s oldest artistic traditions. It achieved extraordinary levels of development at a very early date: the youngest objects on display are two millennia old, the oldest were made some 4000 years ago. Jade - called Yu in Chinese - is extraordinarily tough, so much so that modern craftsmen use steel and diamond-tipped drills. Historically, jade was laboriously worn down, using a paste made from abrasive sand mixed with water. Creating perfect shapes from such an uncooperative material would have required physical and mental stamina.

Credit Line/Donor

Gifted by Sir William and Lady Burrell to the City of Glasgow, 1944

Collection

Burrell Collection: Jade, Jasper, Agate, etc

ID Number

22.132

Location

Burrell Collection

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