This item is a Chinese antique hand carved jade pendant or plaque, likely featuring a dragon or qiln motif in openwork, similar to styles from the Qing Dynasty or earlier.  
  • Material: Carved jade, often nephrite, ranging in color from white to green-brown. 
  • Design: Intricate openwork carving, featuring a central perforated disk (bi) with a mythical dragon at the top, symbolizing power, dignity, and good fortune. The center of the disk is carved carefully and actually rotates.
  • Function: Historically used as an amulet, pendant, or decorative ornamental plaque. 

 It weighs 21.2 grams and is 2-1/2" long.

This piece was part of a collection we imported from Beijing Arts and Crafts Department in the early 1980s. This Chinese government office as well as US customs certified the jade pieces we purchased as antique. At that time, we were importing many items from the Chinese National Arts and Crafts and selling wholesale to antique stores and interior designers. There were not many companies that were invited by the Chinese government to even purchase these types of items; one could purchase a few items from some of the government stores as a tourist, so this was a unique opportunity at that time . We purchased all of the jade pendants/medallions that they had. This is one of them.