East Asia, China, Neolithic, Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300 to 2250 BCE. A gorgeous 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 of cong: 1.75" L x 0.6" W (4.4 cm x 1.5 cm); of custom jewelry box: 3.5" L x 3.5" W x 1.75" H (8.9 cm x 8.9 cm x 4.4 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 Brighton, Massachusetts, USA collection acquired in Hong Kong in 1986

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#182270

One small chip to edge and a few miniscule nicks and abrasions in areas, but otherwise intact, excellent, and wearable with smooth surfaces. Accompanied by custom jewelry box.