DESCRIPTION: Ancient Western Han period mao gang (jade charm w/ mao radical in Liu Bang's name) from the reign of Liu Bang featuring a unique design involving a round seal crowned with an ornately fashioned tortoise and set into a cup decorated with anteverted midline around its stem and C-shaped incisions on the body bordering a series of nodules framed by more C-shaped marks. Seal's underside bears an inverted inscription "to confuse threatening spirits" and seal's side is incised with an apotropaic inscription in Han characters.

Provenance: Estate at Kings Point New York, which purchased item(s) from Weisbrod Chinese Art, Ltd.
See pgs. 88-89 of "Lustrous, Enduring and Translucent: Jades from Traditional China" by the Weisbrod Chinese Art Museum with guest author Elizabeth Childs-Johnson

CIRCA: 3rd Century BC
ORIGIN: China
DIMENSIONS: H: 3" D: 1"

Have a similar item to sell? Contact: Info@Akibaantiques.com.

CONDITION: Piece bears "mottled chalky white passages" in crevices throughout from age. See lot description for details on item condition. More detailed condition requests can be obtained via email (info@akibaantiques.com) or SMS (305)-332-9274. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Akiba Antiques shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.