Jade. China, neolithic Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300 - 2200 BC

Formally speaking, this necklace link is a small, one-storied cong. The engraved shenhui, the so-called "faces of supernatural beings", are particularly impressive. The line patterns on the slightly slanted, oval surfaces around the pupils are astonishingly finely crafted given when they were produced. The cord hole has been ground from both sides and becomes narrower towards the middle. The jade is reddish in color and features white, age-related calcification.
LENGTH 2,95 CM
Condition: Some corrosion on the edges, otherwise well preserved. See images online.
Provenance: From an Austrian collection.

Comparative literature/Archaeological sites: See no. 7 in this catalogue.



All jades in this catalogue have been professionally examined, authenticated and dated by Univ. Prof. Fillipo Salviati. Professor Salviati teaches Chinese and Korean art at Sapienza University in Rome, in the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies. He is a world expert on archaic Chinese jades, having released multiple publications and being cited by renowned auction houses such as Sotheby’s.

Expertise: Wolfmar Zacken