A jade spoon, Late Western Han dynasty | 西漢晚期　龍首玉勺

Jade vessels and utensils from the Han dynasty are exceptionally rare and were exclusively reserved for the highest echelons of society, likely serving important functions in ritual ceremonies or banquets. The use of jade, a material believed to possess purifying and immortal properties, for a utilitarian object such as a spoon underscores the exalted status of its owner.

The present spoon is elegantly proportioned, featuring a shallow, finely hollowed oval bowl that extends to a faceted handle. The terminal is deftly carved in the round to depict a stylised dragon head, its features articulated with precise, minimal incisions characteristic of the period's sophisticated craftsmanship. The stone bears extensive natural calcification and alteration, bearing witness to its great antiquity.

For related examples dated to the Han dynasty, see a jade ladle terminating in an animal mask, excavated at Luoyang, Henan province, illustrated in Gu Fang, The Pictorial Handbook of Ancient Chinese Jades, Beijing, 2007, p. 282. Another comparable jade spoon in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 4, Beijing, 2011, p. 186, no. 241.

漢代玉製容器及實用器數量極為稀少，級別甚高，推測多為皇室貴族於重要宴飲或祭祀場合中所用。古人視玉為山川之精華，賦予其神聖及不朽之意，以珍貴玉材雕琢日常用具，足見使用者身份之顯赫。

本品形制優雅，勺面呈淺橢圓形，掏膛勻淨，長柄末端圓雕龍首，五官以簡練的陰線刻劃，線條流暢生動，展現漢代玉雕古樸大氣之韻味。玉質受沁呈灰白色，古意盎然。

漢代墓葬中亦有形制相似的玉勺出土，見河南洛陽市出土一件末端作獸面紋之白玉龍勺，著錄於古方，《中國古玉器圖典》，北京，2007年，頁282。另見北京故宮博物院藏一例，著錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器編4：漢魏晉南北朝》，北京，2011年，頁186，編號241。