《爾雅•釋器》云：肉倍好謂之璧，好倍肉謂之瑗，肉好若一謂之環。《荀子大略》記載有「 問士以璧，召人以瑗，絕人以玦，反絕以環。」玉瑗是一種地位高者召見地位低者的信物。本器青黃色和田玉雕琢，玉龍鼻頭及下顎呈斧形，胸前及背上飾羽翼，前身站立在玉瑗之前，下半身盤在玉瑗內，尾部分叉，腹部飾捲草紋，整體龍身呈現威風凜凜。玉瑗一面為具戰國紋飾風格龍鳳紋淺浮雕，補白處飾游絲陰線抽象虎紋多處虎紋身上飾夌形雷紋，表示虎嘯如雷，虎紋邊緣再飾以網紋，以增強其立體感 ; 另一面則為代表國家社稷的勾連谷紋淺浮雕。本器意味著王者透過玉瑗將社稷重任委以有能力治理國家的文官及保家衛國的武將。全器刀工流暢精美， 有增生晶體及鈣化斑痕等古玉跡象。國立故宮博物院收藏之戰國玉瑗，青玉材質，孔徑3.35公分， 外徑6.4公分，兩面均有飾穀紋，有赭斑與深褐色沁。本器玉質精美，形制獨特雄偉，雕工流暢，紋飾華麗婉約，不是戰國王室，就是國之重臣所有，堪稱不可多得的戰國玉瑗重器。
Er-Ya. Explaining Utensils: “A round plate whose edge is bigger than the hole is called a ring.” In Xunzi Abstract: “ To ask advice from a scholar, you present him a jade bi. To call a person, you give him a jade ring.” In Chinese jade culture, a jade ring is an object of evidence between the superior and the subordinate.
Carved with green-yellow tone hetian jade, this object is skillfully designed with a standing dragon coupling a jade ring of which one side is carved with a low relief dragon and phoenix at the bottom side on the front. On the top side and the dragon’s body, the abstract form of a tiger with thin incised lines, a diamond shape net motif located inside the abstract tiger to imply the thunder sound from the tiger’s growling. The crop motif implying the country is carved on the other side of the jade ring. The motifs carved with the Warring States style have shown extraordinary elegance. Antiquity evidence includes dissolved pits, additive crystals, and calcification. With the special design of this jade ring, this item must be owned by royal members or high-ranking officials of the states in the period of Warring States. It is inevitably an item for connoisseurs collectors.
Appraisal Indexes:
- quality of jade: 10
- rareness: 10
- historical and cultural significance: 9
- workmanship: 10
- size:9
- condition: 10