Lot 8
East Asia, China, Neolithic, Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300 to 2250 BCE. A lovely ritual funerary item known as a "cong," hand-carved from mottled brown and gray nephrite jade. This cong was formed through a meticulous carving and smoothing process using awls, drills, and abrasives of varying fineness, and boasts an incredibly smooth surface which is pleasing to the touch. This artifact shows how Song/Jin artisans paid homage to earlier jade carving styles. Stone items like this one formed part of the decoration of these tombs and seem to have been reserved for the most elite people in society, and clearly had great significance, but the meaning and purpose of congs remains a mystery. The miniature size of this cong allows it to be easily strung on a strand and worn as a bead or pendant! Size: 1.2" L x 1.1" W x 1.9" H (3 cm x 2.8 cm x 4.8 cm)
The funerary function of congs probably had a religious connotation. Some scholars of Chinese Neolithic history and anthropology posit that the cong is "based on the ancient Chinese notion that earth was square and heaven round, while the hole in the object represents the passage connecting heaven and earth." (Weichao, Yu. "A Journey into China's Antiquity - Volume 1: Palaeolithic Age - Spring and Autumn Period." National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing, China, 1997, p. 80)
Provenance: private Manhattan, Illinois, USA collection, acquired before 2010
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#191932
- Condition: Age-expected surface wear with light nicks and abrasions as shown, but, otherwise, intact, wearable, and in excellent overall condition with smooth surfaces. Light earthen deposits in areas.
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