A Chinese 'Chicken bone' jade pouring vessel

A Chinese 'Chicken bone' jade pouring vessel, zhi, Song-Ming Dynasty, the flattened pear-shaped body supported on a tall and slightly tapered foot, rising to an elegantly flaring rim decorated with a relief band enclosing archaistic stylised dragons in mutual pursuit of a yin-yang roundel, the body carved in relief with chilong dragons in flight amidst clouds, the opaque stone of a mottled tone, ranging from creamy-white tones to brownish-black colours, 8.3cm highProvenance: Formerly in a private South African Collection purchased circa mid 1970's and to the mid 1980's See a Song-Dynasty jade zhi vessel with similar relief band enclosing confronting dragons in Brian McElney B.S. (1991), Han to Song Chinese Jades, In: Keverne R. (eds) Jade. Springer, Boston, MA, Figure 2, pp112.宋-明 鸡骨白玉螭龙纹觯拍品来源：南非私人收藏，购自上世纪70-80年代 Condition Report: Stone with natural faults and cracks, minute old chips to the foot and mouth rimCondition Report Disclaimer