Lot 65
Asian, Northeast China, Hongshan culture, Neolithic Period, ca. 3800 to 2700 BCE. A fine example of a semi-translucent green and white jadeite bi disc, created using drilling and polishing. The surface has a dense and regular pattern of raised bumps on both sides and a lightly raised border. The wide edge is wonderfully smooth to the touch. The central hole similarly has a raised border and a smooth internal edge. Size: 2.25" W x 0.25" H (5.7 cm x 0.6 cm)
Yu, the Chinese word for jade, is also an idea - of a steadfastness, and reliability, mirrored in the abrasion techniques required to make these intricate works of art. Yu is also not bound by the mineralogical definition of jade - over the millennia that it has been carved in China, the people have had varying access to sources of jade and nephrite - but is rather a wider term for hard stone, much of it white, like this piece. Bi discs are often associated with heavenly imagery, like this one, whose scroll motifs can be interpreted as blowing wind. From the Neolithic period forward, bi discs were buried with the dead, often broken or placed ceremonially on the body, usually near the stomach or chest, in high status burials. They were also used in life during rituals.
Provenance: private Salter collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#125664
- Condition: White encrustation on some surfaces, as shown.
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