East Asia, China, Neolithic, Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300 to 2250 BCE. A gorgeous ritual funerary item known as a "cong," carved by hand from white nephrite jade to present a rare triangular form with a tubular bore hole at the center and a narrow opening to 1 side. The exterior is finely incised with abstract zoomorphic imagery with spiraling motifs reminiscent of the sinuous bodies of serpents, curled horns of sheep, or scrolling, whisps of clouds. 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. 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 meaning and purpose of congs remains a mystery. Size: 1.7" L x 1.1" W x 0.9" H (4.3 cm x 2.8 cm x 2.3 cm); of custom wooden box: 5.6" L x 3.1" W x 1.9" H (14.2 cm x 7.9 cm x 4.8 cm)

Chinese art has incorporated jade since the Neolithic period; quarries for nephrite, the formal name for jade, have been found in modern-day southern Mongolia that date to ca. 4000 BCE. The stone was prized for its hardness, its beautiful coloration, and its durability. By the third millennium BCE, we know that jade had also come to be associated with immortality. Jade was used to make everything from everyday household objects and decoration to the ceremonial suits in which Han dynasty emperors were buried ? with the belief that jade would preserve the body and the soul for eternity.

Provenance: private Brighton, Massachusetts, USA collection acquired in Hong Kong in 1986

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#182277

Natural striation to stone. Intact and excellent with impressive preservation of detail. Accompanied by custom wood box. Weathering and patina to exterior of box, as well as some loosening to lid.