China, probably Hongshan culture, c. 3500-3000 BC or later. Of cylindrical form, the stylized silkworms carved with gently waisted segments and pierced at the top with small circular apertures for suspension. The opaque jades of celadon tone with extensive calcification.

Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out together with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, with ancient wear. Signs of weathering and erosions, soil encrustations probably from prolonged burial, small nicks, and minor chips. The jade with natural fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks.

Weight: 37 g and 30.1 g
Dimensions: Length 9 cm and 9.4 cm