Description:

East Asia, China, Shang Dynasty, ca. 11th century BCE. A gorgeous piece of bright green nephrite jade with "mutton" black, and brown areas to lower front and much of reverse. String cut, biconically drilled, and polished to a very high glossy surface, showing microscopic wear and surface deposits. A very lovely example! Size: 1.5" W x 1.75" H (3.8 cm x 4.4 cm); 2.5" H (6.4 cm) on included custom stand.

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. From the Neolithic period forward, the Chinese buried jade with the dead, often broken or placed ceremonially on the body; they also used it in life for performing rituals.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection

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#191142

  • Condition: Slight roughness on right lower edge else excellent.

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March 27, 2025 10:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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