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This exquisite plaque features detailed relief carvings of five sinuous dragons amid stylized clouds. Not satisfied merely to reproduce an existing design, the artist enhanced the motif’s visual appeal by articulating novel attributes for the five dragons, including long, elephantlike snouts, single long horns, feline heads, and even beaks resembling those of an eagle.
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明初 象牙雕螭龍方牌
Title: Plaque with dragons
Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Date: early 15th century
Culture: China
Medium: Ivory
Dimensions: H. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm); W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm); D. 5/8 in. (1.6 cm)
Classification: Ivories
Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2019
Accession Number: 2019.193.3
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