Openwork Jade with Animals

The surface of this jade ornament is grayish white due to corrosion. There is a piece of round-shaped turquoise inlaid in the center, around which are designs of dragon, phoenix and bear carved in openwork. A short column is arranged on the back, through which a small round hole runs for binding and fastening.
This jade ornament was originally decorated on a burial lacquerware which has already rotten away with age, and leaving behind only this piece of precious jade; thus one can imagine how gorgeous the lacquerware would be. This jade ornament, extremely exquisite in carving and imaginative in design and presentation, is crowned as the most outstanding artwork of its kind and represents the highest level of jade carving of Han Dynasty.