An exceptionally rare group of five jade pendants, Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period | 東周戰國　玉組珮一組五件

This striking assemblage comprises five principal jade elements, elegantly strung together with colourful agate, stone, and glass spacer beads. The set descends from a bi disc flanked by openwork dragons, followed by an arched heng pendant terminating in stylised dragon heads, a classic circular bi disc, a slightly flared cylindrical tube bead , and culminates in a dynamic, openwork dragon plaque at the base. The defining feature of this set is the meticulous application of the guwen 'grain pattern' as neatly arranged, raised spiraling bosses across the surface of the discs, the heng, and the tube. This tactile and rhythmic motif is a quintessential hallmark of Warring States period jade carving, widely believed to symbolize agricultural fertility, cosmic harmony, and the endless cycle of life.

During the Eastern Zhou dynasty, elaborate jade pendant sets Yuzupei were essential accoutrements for the aristocracy, functioning simultaneously as markers of high social rank and physical manifestations of moral purity. The Liji, or Book of Rites dictates that the rhythmic chiming of the jades as they struck against one another served to guide the wearer's pace, ensuring a dignified, measured gait that reflected their inner virtue and adherence to courtly etiquette. The inclusion of the S-shaped dragon plaque at the bottom anchors the set with a sense of fluid motion, a stylistic trait highly favoured during this era.

The structural composition of this set, which pairing bi discs with a double-dragon heng and a terminal dragon pendant is firmly rooted in the elite burial traditions of the Warring States period. Bi discs with flanking openwork dragons and grain-patterned heng pendants are frequently encountered in high-status tombs across the Central Plains and the Chu cultural sphere. For comparable examples of grain-patterned bi discs and double-dragon heng from this period, see the extensive jade discoveries from the Jincun tombs in Luoyang, Henan province, as well as those excavated from Warring States Chu tombs, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji [Compendium of Chinese Jades], Vol. 3: Spring and Autumn, Warring States, Shijiazhuang, 1993.

此組玉珮由五件主體玉飾組成，間以瑪瑙、琉璃等各式串珠相連，色彩斑斕。自上而下依次為：出廓雙龍紋玉璧、雙龍首玉珩、圓玉璧、穀紋玉管，以及底部的鏤空龍形玉珮。皆以穀紋裝飾，這種極具觸感與韻律美的紋飾是戰國玉器最具標誌性的特徵，穀紋其實為抽象龍紋簡化後的一種紋飾，也被普遍被認為象徵著五穀豐登、宇宙的和諧以及生生不息的生命力。

在東周時期，繁複的玉組珮不僅是高級貴族社會地位的象徵，更是其高尚道德情操的物化體現。《禮記》等文獻記載，貴族佩戴組珮行走時，玉器相互碰撞發出清脆的聲音，藉此節制步伐，確保儀態莊重，以彰顯其內在修養與對禮制的遵從。位於底部的S形鏤空龍珮，為整組玉飾增添了靈動的張力，這也是該時期極為推崇的藝術風格。

此組玉珮將玉璧、雙龍首玉珩與龍形珮相組合的形制，深深植根於戰國時期高等級貴族的喪葬禮制之中。帶有出廓龍紋的玉璧與穀紋玉珩，在中原及楚文化圈的貴族大墓中屢見不鮮。關於同時期帶有穀紋的玉璧與雙龍首玉珩之比較實例，可參考河南洛陽金村大墓及戰國楚墓出土之玉器，詳見《中國玉器全集：第三卷：春秋戰國》，河北，1993年。