Dragon-shaped Jade
Han Dynasty 
(206 B.C. - A.D. 220)
Length         22.3cm
Height          7  cm
     In ancient China, 
the dragon was a mythical 
creature associated with 
totemistic religion.  
Cultivated people wore 
jades fashioned in the 
shape of a dragon as a 
symbol of distinctive 
moral virtue.  In time 
of drought, dragon-shaped 
jades also served as rain-
seeking ritual objects.