A RETICULATED GILT-SILVER 'DRAGON' PENDANT

Song Dynasty

Footnotes

宋 銀鎏金雙龍霞帔墜

The present lot features a classic heart-shaped design, crafted by combining two sheets of pure gold through masterful repousse technique. The body curves slightly upward at its centre while tapering gracefully toward the edges, achieving a form that is both full-bodied and gracefully dynamic. The edges are adorned with alternating bead and leaf patterns, arranged symmetrically with rhythmic beauty. Both sides showcase masterfully chased and engraved twin dragons gazing at each other's heads. The coiling tails curl upward, capturing the creatures' lifelike vitality and spirited essence. A meticulously crafted pierced hole at the pendant's top facilitates suspension while serving a practical purpose. This artifact masterfully integrates multiple goldsmithing techniques including repousse, openwork carving, soldering, line engraving, and stamping, resulting in an astonishingly intricate craftsmanship. Its overall form is exquisitely delicate and full of charm, standing as a quintessential masterpiece of Song dynasty decorative arts.

The Song dynasty marked a period of refined development in ancient Chinese gold and silver craftsmanship. Influenced by literati aesthetic trends, the overall style of artifacts leaned toward elegance and restraint. As a crucial weighting ornament at the hem of ceremonial robes worn by noblewomen, this pendant utilized its own weight to ensure the fabric draped gracefully. This design maintained dignified poise while preventing the robes from billowing out of order, serving dual functions of securing attire and signifying status. Pendants of this type reserved exclusively for noblewomen, distilled the essence of Song court ceremonial protocols, gold-silver filigree craftsmanship, and the symbolic significance of dragon-phoenix motifs. It served both as a vital emblem of status and a microcosm reflecting the era's aesthetic sensibilities. Hanging from the hem, it embodies a thousand years of elegance, silently narrating the prosperous spirit of the Southern Song dynasty where 'elegance permeated everyday life'. This artifact stands as invaluable physical evidence for studying Song dynasty costume culture and decorative arts.

此銀質鎏金雙龍霞帔墜呈經典雞心形制，採用兩片精金薄葉經高超捶揲工藝複合鍛造而成，器身中央微隆而邊緣漸次收薄，整體造型飽滿而不失靈動。器物邊緣以連珠紋與草葉紋交替綴飾，紋樣排布對稱嚴謹，富有韻律美感。兩面均以精湛鏨刻技法呈現首尾相顧的雙龍紋飾，龍尾婉轉上卷，形態栩栩如生，盡顯靈動氣韻。墜體頂端精心設穿孔設計，既便於系佩懸掛，又兼顧實用功能。該器物集捶揲、透雕、焊接、線刻及壓模等多元金銀細工技法於一體，工藝之精妙令人歎絕。其整體造型玲瓏精巧，意趣盎然，堪稱宋代工藝美術的典範之作。

宋代乃中國古代金銀器工藝的精細化發展時期，受文人審美思潮影響，器物風格整體趨向典雅內斂。霞帔墜作為宋代命婦禮服霞帔底部的關鍵壓飾，借金墜自身重量使帔帛自然垂墜，既保持儀態端莊，又避免衣帛飄散失序，兼具固定衣飾與彰顯身份的雙重功能。此銀質鎏金雙龍霞帔墜為貴族女性專用飾物，凝練了宋代宮廷禮制規範、金銀細工技藝與龍鳳文化象徵意義，既是身份標識的重要載體，亦為時代審美風尚的微觀映照。一墜垂裳間，千年風雅盡現，靜默訴說著南宋"風雅處處是平常"的盛世氣韻，堪稱研究宋代服飾文化與工藝美術的珍貴實物資料。