Jade Dragon
A precious relic handed down from generation to generation, the jade dragon was carved from a whole piece of yellow-green nephrite and resembles the letter "C". With its head and tail facing each other, it forms a curve like a rainbow and looks powerful.
The concisely carved dragon head boasts fluent lines, and the mouth and jaw outlines were engraved simply. The nose is upturned, and the eyes are protruding, which look vigorous and spirited. The long mane on the back of the neck is lifelike, as if it were floating.
The dragon is hornless, and its body has no scales or decorative patterns. There is a hole in the middle of its body. If hung by a rope through the hole, the dragon maintains a horizontally balanced position.
The jade dragon was donated by Fu Zhongmo, a renowned ancient jade ware researcher and collector. It comes from the Hongshan Culture of the Neolithic Age, some 5,000-6,500 years ago. The Hongshan Culture was so named because it was discovered in 1935 at the Hongshan Site in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia.
The relics of the Hongshan Culture are mainly scattered in the southwestern quadrant of northeast China. Many jade artifacts from here have been unearthed, featuring a variety of shapes and exquisite techniques. Many are shaped like animals such as birds and tortoises.
The most noticeable are those in the shape of the dragon, which boast primitive beauty and freehand carving and demonstrate the simple and bold artistic style of ethnic groups from north China.
The C-shaped jade dragon is the oldest artifact in the shape of a dragon ever brought to light in China. Now held in the Palace Museum, it is 60 centimeters long, the largest among all artifacts of the same type.
玉龙
玉龙是一件传世文物，用整块黄绿色闪石玉雕琢而成，像英文字母“C”的形状，首尾相顾、弯曲如虹、遒劲有力。龙头雕琢简洁流畅，嘴部用寥寥数笔阴刻线条勾勒出颚部轮廓，鼻上翘，双目凸起，硬朗有神。颈背长鬃飘逸，潇洒灵动。龙身光素无纹，无角无鳞，中部有孔，两面对穿，若以绳系孔悬置，则玉龙水平平衡。
它来自著名古玉研究专家、收藏家傅忠谟先生。该玉龙属于新石器时代红山文化，距今约6500—5000年。红山文化因1935年在内蒙古赤峰红山发掘而得名，主要分布于东北地区西南部。红山文化出土大量玉器，造型多、技艺巧，有大量动物形象，如鸟、龟等，尤以玉龙最为出名，古朴写意，突显北方民族质朴与豪放的风格。
C形玉龙是中国出土文物中最早的龙的形象，被称为“中华第一龙”。故宫博物院藏玉龙，长达60厘米，在同类藏品中体量最大。
