Pair of Jade Plaques
Unknown Artist
475–221 BCE
Medium
nephrite
Dimensions
part 1: 22.5 × 8.9 cm · part 2: 20.8 × 8.7 cm
Classification
Jade
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund and the John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1991.78
About this artwork
This beautiful pair of late Eastern Zhou openwork jade plaques illustrate a level of creativity and technical achievement that was unequaled before or since. Taking the shape of a pair of fantastic creatures, they are at once tiger-like, rhino-like, and dragon-like. Their strong silhouettes are marked with shallow relief bands, and their subtly swelling embellished surfaces are finished to the same degree on both sides.