Sheath with Bird and Feline or Dragon
Warring States period to early Western Han dynasty, 3rd/2nd century B.C.
China
China
Artists of China's late Bronze Age achieved both technical mastery and visual sophistication in elegant objects like this jade sheath, designed to fit a small blade. Its fluid contours and subtle surface modeling are remarkable because they were achieved by slowly grinding down, drilling, and polishing the stone.
Jade