Extremely rare, jade dragon head comes to auction at Christie's New York

An exceptionally rare and highly important pale greyish-green jade carving of a dragon head, Tang dynasty (AD 618-907), 16.5 cm long, estimated to sell for $2.5 to $3.5 million,  is offered in the Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction of September 13, at Christie's in New York

This pale greyish-green jade dragon head comes to auction at Christie's in New York from the famed Asian art collection of Stephen Junkunc, III. It was published in 1963, but has not been seen in public since. After nearly six decades, this extraordinary carving is now coming to light for a fresh generation of scholars and collectors.

Specialist Ling'ao Tong said that "The Qujiang dragon head is the only other surviving Tang-dynasty jade dragon head that is comparable to ours in subject matter, size, sculptural strength and material. The similarities between the two pieces reinforce a Tang-dynasty date and imperial connection for the Junkunc jade dragon head.'

Jade artefacts from the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) are among the rarest from China's millennia-long tradition of jade carving.

"This is a huge, high-quality block of jade which is on the whiter end of the colour spectrum," the specialist said. "That it is the only Tang-dynasty jade dragon head in private hands will make it extremely attractive to collectors of early Chinese jade, as well as to cross-category collectors who are interested in acquiring a masterpiece."