Catalogue entry no. 501 by Max Loehr:
501 Openwork Symplegma of Animal and Birds
Translucent greenish and gray jade of lighter and darker hues. The symmetrically designed complex shows a snake-like head in the center. Above the head, the creature’s body is split and undulates toward both sides. The clawed feet, which adjoin the head, continue into cross-hatched curls which are connected by a cross-hatched bar below the head. A second pair of legs and clawed feet issue from behind the first pair; the claws touch the body where it begins to descend, while their curvature blend into the curlicues of the bird-head elements on top. The involute tail ends of the central beast touch the head of two small birds placed at the lower corners. All surfaces are richly textured by striations, hatching, and transverse incisions; the two birds, in addition, are distinguished by a scale pattern representing their plumage. The plaque has been broken and repaired. Late Eastern Chou.
