本器和田青玉雕琢, 形制為鏤空玉璧. 商朝將天分為東西南北四宮，分別以青龍、白虎、朱雀、玄武為名。《三輔黃圖》稱，蒼龍、白虎、朱雀、玄武，天之四靈，以正四方。左青龍、右白虎、前朱雀、後玄武，四大靈獸鎮守東西南北四宮，辟邪惡、調陰陽，為四方之神。四大靈獸在中國玉器上也成為主流圖騰之一。 本器將玉璧分為三部分, 以正方形四角連接玉璧內緣, 正方形與玉璧之間上下左右分別飾青龍, 白虎, 朱雀, 玄武. 正方形內部區分為兩層, 內層連接孔的圓環部分飾勾聯雲紋, 圓環外部與正方體補白處飾上下左右兩兩相背兩龍, 共八隻, 本璧呈現了天圓地方外, 更完整呈現了四大靈獸內涵. 本器雕工精湛, 各紋飾的呈現 細膩生動, 加以差異風化, 擴散暈沁色, 溶蝕孔, 石灰沁等古玉跡象明顯, 是漢代大型鏤空玉璧精品.

來源:  家族百年收藏

This vessel is carved from Hetian green tone jade in the shape of a open worked jade bi. The Shang Dynasty divided the sky into four palaces, east, west, north, and south. The dragon occupies the East, the tiger is in the West, the scarlet phoenix is in the South and the tortoise coupling with the snake occupies the North. The four spiritual beasts have also become one of the mainstream totems on Chinese jade. This vessel divides the jade bi into three parts. The four corners of the square connect the inner edge of the jade bi. Between the square and the edge of bi is decorated with a green dragon, white tiger, scarlet phoenix, and black tortoise with snake respectively. The interior of the square is divided into two sections. The ring part is decorated with connected cloud patterns, and the outer part of the ring and the padding of the cube are decorated with two dragons, up and down, left and right, opposite to each other. There are eight dragons in total. The carvings are exquisite, and the decorations are delicate and vivid, with differential weathering, diffusive markings, and dissolved pits. It is a large-scale openwork jade bi in the Han Dynasty.