Ancient East Asia, Northeast China, Hongshan culture, Neolithic Period, ca. 3800 to 2700 BCE. A lovely pendant in the form of a pig dragon that is hand-carved from a yellow-brown stone with nice, dark colored veining. The piriform pendant features an abstract face consisting of a pair of petite eyes outlined with concentric incised lines, a drooping snout with a slender gap between the upper and lower jaw, and a circular, biconically drilled mouth. Behind the large head is a set of coalescing grooves that taper to a point, and beneath that is a biconically drilled suspension hole. Size: 1.56" L x 0.62" W x 2.02" H (4 cm x 1.6 cm x 5.1 cm)
The Hongshan culture, comprised of a group of Neolithic peoples who lived in the far north-east, in what is modern-day Liaoning province and Inner Mongolia, created a sophisticated society and erected elaborate ceremonial sites. Excavations of their temples and tombs have revealed carved stone abstract animal-shaped objects like this one.
Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection; ex-Allen Davis collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, before 1990
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#139344
Condition
Minor abrasions to head and body, with a couple of nicks in scattered areas, otherwise intact and very good. Great surface smoothness throughout.